Adorable photo shows 9-year-old Katie Ledecky getting an autograph from Michael Phelps
Who knew back then the photo would feature two gold medal winners?
U.S. Olympic swimmers Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps have a lot in common. Both made their first Olympic team at age 15. Both currently hold three individual world records (Phelps for the 100- and 200-meter butterfly and the 400-meter individual medley; Ledecky for the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle). Both are once again bringing home the gold for their country at the 2016 Olympics. And, as it turns out, these two world-class swimmers also share an adorable connection outside the pool that goes back a decade.After Ledecky captured the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle, ESPN sports business reporter Darren Rovell tweeted out a photo of Ledecky at 9 years old getting an autograph from Phelps.
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
Little could Ledecky have known that, a decade later, she would be a winner of multiple gold medals herself.
As hard as it may be to believe, this wasn’t Ledecky’s first brush with an Olympic gold medal winner. At age two, Katie’s uncle John Ledecky, then a part-owner of the Washington Capitals, took her to a Washington Wizards game, where she shared a luxury box with Wizards part-owner Michael Jordan.
Before winning #Gold, @katieledecky was 2-yrs-old and hanging out with Michael Jordan: https://t.co/TlkhPAT391 #USA pic.twitter.com/qsS61bN5hp
— Tony Gray (@ABGray) August 9, 2016
Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, but when it comes to gold medals, Ledecky’s got him beat.
https://twitter.com/darrenrovell/status/763187564333371392
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