Sports
The evolution of Katie Ledecky: As Olympics near, U.S. swimming star comes full circle
Follow our Olympics coverage in the lead-up to the Paris Games.
In April, Bruce Gemmell received a phone call from someone who had changed his life more than a decade ago. They text frequently, so it wasn’t strange to hear from her. But what she asked of him made him laugh.
Katie Ledecky’s first question was quintessential Katie: Hey, I’m coming home to Maryland for a few days in May. Can I train with you?
An easy yes from her old swim coach.
Then: Oh, by the way, when I’m home, I’m going to the White House to get the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I’m hoping you’d be free to come as my guest. I don’t want to impose or anything.
“She really said it that way,” Gemmell said, chuckling. “I said, ‘Yes, of course, I would love to go.’”
Heading into the day, he figured the coolest part would be meeting President Joe Biden; Gemmell is a Delaware native, and his wife had interned for then-Senator Biden at one point. It’d be a nice little full-circle moment.
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But Gemmell’s main takeaway was something different, something far more significant to the man who had trained the most dominant female swimmer in the sport’s history during her most dominant stretch, starting after the London Olympics and running through the Rio Games. He started working with her when she was 15, very quiet and even more shy.
And he watched 27-year-old Katie Ledecky work the room, taking photos with those who asked and speaking with people from all walks of life.
“She was the star of the show as far as I’m concerned — maybe sharing it with Nancy Pelosi,” Gemmell said. “It was absolutely a sign of growth from that somewhat awkward, not-socially-competent 15-year-old who burst on the scene in London to win an Olympic gold medal.
“Watching her evolution from 15 to 27, being in complete control of a room with all these powerful, rich politicians and dignitaries, it’s just heartwarming to see that with her. And during that same period of time, my daughter has gone from a little child, toddler type of thing to somebody who is now powering around the world to swim meets with Katie Ledecky.”
Gemmell’s daughter, Erin, who was 7 when Ledecky began training with her father, is on the U.S. Olympic team alongside her. The little girl who once dressed up as Katie Ledecky for Halloween qualified to be part of the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay with her. Erin, now 19, punched her ticket by finishing fourth in the 200-meter freestyle event in Indianapolis — the top four finishers automatically qualify — and as she looked up at the video board to confirm she’d just made her first Olympic team, Ledecky swam across two lanes with a big smile to hug her.
Now that is a full-circle moment.
Katie Ledecky, right, embraces Erin Gemmell after the 200-meter freestyle at the U.S. Olympic trials. Gemmell has long looked up to Ledecky, who was once coached by Gemmell’s dad. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images)
“She’s been such a big influence,” Erin said. “I don’t think I would really be here if it weren’t for her. It’s really special to be able to be that close to someone who is so inspirational, getting to see the day-to-day work that they put in. It makes it seem more achievable in a way, being so close. It makes them seem a lot more human.”
When Erin met Ledecky, she was “terrified” of her. Erin also characterizes herself as “definitely an annoying child,” so she can’t believe how kind and welcoming Ledecky was to her. And though her older brother, Andrew, has Olympic experience as a swimmer and her dad has plenty of it as a coach, Erin can’t believe how lucky she is to experience Paris and the lead-up alongside Ledecky.
Her father can’t believe his luck, either. Erin isn’t one to send photos or updates from training camp — Team USA trained in North Carolina and later in Croatia — but Ledecky will send selfies of the two. Ledecky is not just Erin’s role model; she’s basically her older sister. She’s in charge of parent updates, and Erin is in charge of nail painting.
“Katie is (in) the top very small number of swimmers, probably the best female ever,” Bruce Gemmell said. “But her qualities as an individual are at another level. I say that fondly … with tears in my eyes.”
Ledecky herself has always understood her power and influence. It’s part of the reason she was quiet and shy for so long; that’s who she is, but it’s also how she wanted to come across to the world. She’s a serious woman with big goals she has spent her entire career working toward. And she’s not anywhere near the finish line yet. She has said she plans to compete at age 31 in the Los Angeles Olympics, which would be her fifth Games.
But even now, with the Paris Games just days away, she knows she is already a veteran on the national team. On the women’s side alone are two 17-year-olds (Alex Shackell, Claire Weinstein), an 18-year-old (Katie Grimes, who qualified in the 400- and 1,500-meter freestyle and the open-water event) and Erin. The average age of the women’s team is 22.1 years old.
Ledecky is also one of the most accomplished female Olympians, with seven gold medals. In Paris, she could break the record held by gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won nine gold medals for the Soviet Union in the 1950s and ’60s. Ledecky is the favorite in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle events, so to break the record she would need only an upset win in either the 4×200-meter freestyle relay (Australia will be the favorite) or the 400-meter freestyle (Aussie Ariarne Titmus and Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh are the top contenders).
Katie Ledecky shows off her gold medal from the 800-meter freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She’ll be favored in that and the 1,500-meter again in Paris. (Oli Scarff / AFP via Getty Images)
At Ledecky’s peak in Rio de Janeiro, she won gold in events as short as the 200 free. Recovery looked different at age 19, too. But Ledecky doesn’t see medals that aren’t silver or gold as a failure. She finds value in the work itself — and in her own consistency.
“I pride myself on that consistency,” Ledecky said. “I challenge myself to stay consistent. Yeah, I mean, sometimes it can be tough feeling like you’re not having a breakthrough. But to be really consistent is something I’m really happy with. I’ve learned to just really enjoy each day of training and take in every moment and just appreciate the fact that I’ve been able to have this long of a career, stay injury-free, stay pretty healthy, be able to do this for this many years.”
She has also embraced her role as an elder statesman of the sport. She’s the one who darts over to find the Erins of the world to celebrate with them. She said her favorite message to her first-time Olympian teammates is the one she received from her first coach, Yuri Suguiyama, ahead of London in 2012. He told her she deserved to be on that team, she earned it and she belonged. That’s been Ledecky’s message to her younger teammates: You belong.
Ledecky remembers what it was like to be young and in love with swimming, not knowing where it could take you. She knows what that amazement feels like; she knows some of her teammates might even be intimidated by being on a roster alongside her. But she keeps perspective. She paints her nails red, white and blue. She sends selfies, commemorating the little and the big moments. That’s how she got here, at the precipice of even more history.
“I never dreamed of that as a young kid, to make an Olympics,” Ledecky said. “So, after London … I wanted to get back to that level to prove that I wasn’t just a one-hit wonder. But at the same time, I reminded myself that anything more than that was like icing on the cake, cherry on top, whatever. Because, again, I just never thought I’d make it to that one Olympics.
“That’s the perspective that I think I’ve been able to maintain, that keeps me focused and keeps me enjoying the sport so much while enjoying the teammates and the people that are around me.”
GO DEEPER
Behind Caeleb Dressel’s Olympic return, ‘a work in progress’ to rekindle his love for swimming
(Top illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; photo of Katie Ledecky: Al Bello / Getty Images)
Sports
CM Punk to defend Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam
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CM Punk appeared on “Friday Night SmackDown” ready to take on any challenger that was ready to step to him after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Punk entered the ring in Oklahoma City and called back to the “Monday Night Raw” after WrestleMania 42 when he told Cody Rhodes he’d be ready to deliver if a championship opportunity fell “out of the sky.”
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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk face off during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
“When championship opportunities fall out of the sky, CM Punk catches them,” he said.
Punk named potential SmackDown superstars he’d think might come for the title, including Gunther, Finn Balor, Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams. He even said that Zayn could come back around and get his rematch if he wanted. He didn’t mention Rhodes’ name, but the “American Nightmare” came out uncalled and marched his way down to the ring.
“I don’t think you and I can run away from each other anymore,” Punk told Rhodes.
Cody Rhodes looks on during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Craig Ambrosio/WWE via Getty Images)
Rhodes agreed and mentioned that Punk would want a match with him, just “say when.” It was a quick retort from Punk, who said, “when.” SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, who was in the ring for the segment, booked the match for SummerSlam.
Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam, which takes place Aug. 1 and 2 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
First, however, Punk and Rhodes will be involved in a tag team match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in New York City next week. Aldis made the match after Gunther demanded that Aldis put him in a match against Punk. Gunther was hoping it would be for the championship. Instead, Gunther will tag with Zayn.
Gunther didn’t take too kindly to that and attacked Aldis. Rhodes came back out to break up the calamity. He wanted to take on Gunther after the show went off air but Gunther walked away.
Gunther makes his entrance during SmackDown at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla., on July 10, 2026. (Rich Wade/WWE via Getty Images)
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Punk definitely has his hands full as he moves to SmackDown to become a fighting champion.
Sports
World Cup fans flock to In-N-Out, Erewhon and Trader Joe’s for a taste of California
World Cup tourists are coming to L.A. for the soccer, but they’re staying for the $21 smoothies and Double-Doubles.
As the last Los Angeles FIFA World Cup event ended Friday, soccer fans were eating like locals and famous chains from the region were cashing in.
In the weeks that L.A. has hosted the World Cup, international soccer enthusiasts have flocked to big brands from the area, often in large groups wearing their countries’ jerseys.
It is a phenomenon seen at many of the host cities. In Dallas, giant gas station Buc-ee’s is the main attraction. For people visiting New Jersey, deli shops have been a hot ticket. In L.A., the place to be between matches was Erewhon.
Thirsty international sports fans gathered for pictures outside different Erewhons, wandered their aisles smiling, and, of course, picked up pricey smoothies.
While Erewhon would not comment on its business, mobility data company Arity, which uses phone data to track consumers, said Erewhon visits at the outlets around SoFi Stadium were quadruple what they were a week earlier on June 12, the day of the U.S. national soccer team’s opening match there.
Arity looked at what stores people visited within a 10-mile radius of SoFi that day and also found surges in visitors to nearby El Pollo Loco and Trader Joe’s.
Locals have spotted groups of people in Korea jerseys huddled together, trying to decide what to order at In-N-Out.
Some complained on social media that international tourists at Trader Joe’s were buying up all the mini canvas tote bags.
Soon after the Belgium vs. Spain quarterfinal ended Friday, the In-N-Out near SoFi had a long line of soccer fans stretching out the door in bright red and yellow and black jerseys and matching striped hats and scarves.
One of the workers said he had to explain “spread” and “animal style” to foreign football fans.
“I didn’t know this place existed,” a fan from Romania said while waiting in line.
Los Angeles and other cities and states that have hosted the event need the soccer fans to spend money to make the event worth all the time, effort and money it requires.
A rosy 2024 report projected the World Cup could bring more than $800 million to the L.A. region as 180,000 people converge on the area to sleep, eat and spend.
There were early concerns people weren’t turning up for the event because of the high ticket prices and the difficulty of obtaining visas for citizens of some countries.
However, at least for some L.A. hotels, there was a surge of last-minute visitors which pushed up occupancy and room rates.
While sports fans are not in the region to shop, they do make time for it.
World Cup customer spending is also apparent in beer sales. Andrew Heritage, the chief economist at the Beer Institute said beer purchases at entertainment and attractions in L.A. – outside of World Cup spaces – were up around 10% from normal.
“That tells me that fans in the L.A. area have decided to extend their stay and take in all the other things that the area has to offer, rather than just the match itself,” he said.
On social media, the purpose of these shoppers is clear: grab a quick souvenir or local specialty and take a selfie.
The data from Arity suggests that fans are very efficient when they spend at local spots, diving in, getting what they want and getting out as soon as possible, said Jeff Schlitt, a director at the company.
“Normally you’re there for an hour. They’re going to be there for 15, 18 minutes,” he said. “Why is that? Because they were purpose-driven shoppers.”
For some travelers, the more popular American chains aren’t unfamiliar. But some of the native L.A. fare still comes as a surprise.
As one Belgium-Spain matchgoer from the Netherlands stood taking a picture of the In-N-Out sign after the game, he said he’d never had a burger like the one he’d just tried.
“We only have McDonald’s and Burger King,” he said. “It’s way better.”
Sports
Shohei Ohtani ruled out of MLB All-Star Game as Dodgers plan to manage nagging injury
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The face of baseball will not be at Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his start on Friday as the Los Angeles Dodgers said he will also miss the Midsummer Classic with what the team called left knee irritation.
Ohtani, for obvious reasons, has become an All-Star Game fixture. He has earned the honor in each of the past five seasons and made his first start in 2021.
Starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up before the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on June 03, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The two-way phenom is on his way to winning his fifth MVP award in his last six seasons as he is hitting .290 with a .939 OPS and pitching to a minuscule 1.79 ERA, the second-lowest in the sport among pitchers with 80-plus innings. His OPS is also the seventh-best mark in the league.
The Dodgers said Ohtani will be the team’s designated hitter up until the break, but he will “have some interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season.”
Ohtani dealt with knee issues earlier in the season.
It is certainly a big hit for the game as the other face of the sport, Aaron Judge, will miss the game due to a fractured rib that has kept him out since late May.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready in the on deck circle against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on June 01, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) (Norm Hall/Getty Images)
DODGERS WILL AGAIN VISIT WHITE HOUSE TO CELEBRATE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP, OFFICIAL SAYS
Ohtani hit 99 home runs combined in 2024 and 2025, leading the National League with a 1.025 OPS in that span. Ohtani did not pitch in 2024 after elbow surgery but returned to the bump last year and owned a 2.87 ERA and 11.9 K/9, a figure he also put up in 2022 that led the American League.
The “Japanese Babe Ruth” is the only player in MLB history to have 300-plus plate appearances and 40-plus innings in six separate seasons (Ruth only did it twice and never stole 50 bases), and he has more than excelled at both.
Shohei Ohtani pitches for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on May 13, 2026. (Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images)
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Ohtani is not hitting like he has in the past, but certainly the best pitching performance of his career will make up for it. He “only” has 20 homers and 56 RBI this season.
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