SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers if Katie Ledecky‘s decision to move on from Stanford and head to Florida was the right move for her career:
RESULTS
Question: Is going to Florida the right move for Katie Ledecky‘s career?
- Yes – 82.3%
- No – 4.7%
- Not sure – 13.0%
The poll got a gauge on the immediate reaction fans had to the news that Ledecky was moving on from Stanford and heading to the University of Florida to train under Gator head coach Anthony Nesty, and it’s no surprise more than 82 percent were in agreeance with the move.
Ledecky joined Stanford in the fall of 2016 following her standout performance at the Rio Olympic Games, swimming two collegiate seasons with the Cardinal before turning professional in March 2018.
And while she had plenty of success during her time at The Farm swimming under Greg Meehan, including winning five gold medals at the 2017 World Championships and smashing the world record in the 1500 free in 2018, her success stagnated from Rio to Tokyo relative to the rise she had between 2012 and 2016.
That’s certainly due to a number of different factors, including an illness that impacted her 2019 World Championship performance, but it seems clear that Ledecky took notice of the success University of Florida swimmers Bobby Finke and Kieran Smith have had of late, which included Finke winning double gold in the men’s 800 and 1500 free at the Tokyo Olympics and Smith winning an individual bronze in the 400 free.
Ledecky won four medals in Tokyo, including a pair of golds in the women’s 800 free and 1500 free, after winning four gold and one silver medal in Rio (without the 1500, which was only added to the Olympic program as a women’s event this year).
Given what Nesty has managed to do with Finke and Smith, and Ledecky’s personal bests in the 200, 400 and 800 free having not been lowered since 2016, her decision to get a fresh start under a new, accomplished coach in the run-up to the 2024 Games seems like a good one, and the fans largely agree.
13 percent of voters aren’t yet sure if Ledecky made the right call, while just under 5 percent think it was the wrong move.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Which team has the best chance to dethrone either the Virginia women or Texas men at the 2022 NCAA Championships?
Loading ...
ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
I’m sure she’s relieved by the results.
Of course age has nothing to do with a (distance) swimmers decline. It doesn’t matter where she goes to train, she is not the young up and comer anymore.
Guess we will find out.
Incorrect. If you look at other distance sports like running and triathlon, athletes don’t even peak until their mid 30s. We haven’t seen too many distance swimmers stick around because historically there was no money in swimming, and, psychological burn out. Katie is well paid and seems to be still hungry; she just had bad coaching the last 4 years.
Plus I believe swimmers like Haley Anderson, Ashley Twitchell, and Sarah Koehler are hitting PBs in their late 20s
What happened to Simone Manual??
The KL coaching change shouldn’t even have been a question it’s an obvious yes