NCAP Renaming Annual Invitational in Honor of Alum and Olympic Champion Katie Ledecky
Nation’s Capital Swimming announced today that “The Nation’s Capital Invitational” swim meet held annually at the University of Maryland will be renamed “The Katie Ledecky Invitational” hosted by Nation’s Capital Swimming (NCAP) and sponsored by TYR.
Katie Ledecky started swimming competitively year-round for NCAP at 6 years old, her ties with the club dating back to 2003. At age 15 while training with NCAP and Coach Yuri Suguiyama, Ledecky competed in the 2012 Olympics in London and won her first gold medal in the 800-meter freestyle as the youngest member of the entire U.S. Olympic delegation. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, NCAP Coach Bruce Gemmell guided Ledecky to four gold medals and one silver medal in the second of her four Olympic appearances.
Now a 28-year-old graduate of Stanford University training with Coach Anthony Nesty’s University of Florida pro group, Ledecky is the most decorated female swimmer in history with 14 Olympic medals and 23 World Championship titles, and is the most decorated U.S. female Olympic athlete across all sports. She has broken world records 17 times and American Records 43 times, and won eight NCAA titles (and two national team titles) at Stanford in her two seasons of collegiate competition while coached by USA Swimming’s new National Team Director Greg Meehan.
“We are excited to have Katie be a part of our signature event because she cares so much about the sport and is such an important part of our club’s history,” stated Thomas E. Ugast, CEO of NCAP. “As an age group swimmer, she had many great swims at our December invitational. Her association with this meet reflects her continued commitment to support young swimmers and to grow the sport of swimming. Naming the event after Katie reinforces the fact that Katie, NCAP and TYR will be working together to make the event special for all participants.”
“I am honored that this wonderful meet will now be known as ‘The Katie Ledecky Invitational’”, said Ledecky. “I swam in this meet for so many seasons, and I always looked forward to it so much. I remember meeting Olympians like Tom Dolan and Kate Ziegler at this meet, and what an impact that had on me. It was such an important and fun meet in my development as a swimmer. I owe so much to NCAP’s coaches, administrators and volunteers, and was thrilled when NCAP and Mr. Ugast reached out to me about the meet.”
Held each year at the University of Maryland, College Park, on the second weekend in December, the meet has historically been attended by over 30 teams and 1,500 athletes from all over the Mid-Atlantic region, several of them current and past Olympians. The meet this year will begin on Thursday, December 11 and will run through Sunday, December 14.
Please contact Thomas E. Ugast, CEO of Nation’s Capital Swimming with any questions.
The above press release was provided to Swimming World by Nation’s Capital Swimming.
