TOKYO — There was a time when Katie Ledecky set her sights on her former self. Toward the beginning of her third Olympic quad, with world records in her back pocket and gold medals around her neck, Ledecky, a prolific goal-setter, wanted to go faster. Wanted to outswim her Rio 2016 excellence. Wanted to chase down personal bests.
And then there was a time, between then and now, when Ledecky realized just how hard that would be.
It is, she explained, the “blessing and curse” of greatness. Ledecky won four golds in Rio.