Many of the young swimmers who watched 21-time gold medalist Michael Phelps growing up are now competing beside him in Rio.
A picture of Katie Ledecky, who took home gold in the 200m women’s freestyle on Tuesday, getting an autograph from Phelps 10 years ago circulated on social media on Tuesday night. Ledecky was nine when the picture was taken. She has now won three Olympic gold medals, two in the last week.
10 years ago: A 9-year-old named Katie Ledecky gets an autograph from Michael Phelps (Credit: Ledecky Family) pic.twitter.com/oOOPns5mor
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 10, 2016
The picture was taken two years after Phelps dominated the 2004 Athens Olympics, where he won eight medals, six of which were gold.
Ledecky isn’t the only swimmer in Rio who was inspired by Phelps. Japan’s 22-year old Daiya Seto had his picture taken with Phelps in Japan 14 years ago. He was tipped to be one of Phelps’s main rivals going into the tournament. He took home his first Olympic medal last week, a bronze in the 400m medley.
Before he became Phelps’ fierce rival, South Africa’s 24-year-old Chad Le Clos modeled his career around Phelps.
“He was the reason I swam the butterfly. It’s not a joke,” Le Clos said in 2012. “That’s why I swim the 200 freestyle, both the IMs. I don’t swim it for any other reason than just because Michael does.”
He surprised the world by beating Phelps at his favored race, the 200m butterfly, at the London 2012 Olympics. Their relationship devolved after that. Phelps avenged his 2012 loss in Rio on Tuesday when he took home the 200m butterfly gold while Le Clos failed to make the podium.
