"Can we claim her as a gator yet?" Tennis youngster Ben Shelton jokes on meeting Katie Ledecky

Ben Shelton, 2023 US Open semi-finalist and current World No. 19, recently shared a picture of him and Katie Ledecky with fans. Shelton and Ledecky, both superstars in their own sports, have trained at the University of Florida.

Ben was a part of the college's Florida Gators team between 2020-2022, under his father and head coach Bryan Shelton. While with the Gators, the 21-year-old had an impressive record, leading the team to their first-ever national title at the 2021 NCAA Championships.

He also won the 2022 NCAA Singles Championship as a part of the Gators. In 2022, as a junior, he forgoed the rest of his collegiate eligibility in order to turn pro.

Meanwhile, Olympic legend Katie Ledecky spent her college days at Stanford University, but moved to the University Florida in late 2021. There, she practiced under head Anthony Nesty, and is training to clinch her fourth consecutive 800m Olympic gold medal.

In Florida, Katie Ledecky also holds the title of volunteer swim coach for the Gators’ Men's Swimming and Diving team.

Now, the two sporting stars of the University of Florida recently got together for a cute picture. On his Instagram story, Ben Shelton shared a snap of the two, and captioned it:

“Can we claim her as a Gator yet?”

Via Ben Shelton's Instagram story

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Katie Ledecky's continued success after moving to Florida

Katie Ledecky announced her move to the University of Florida after five years and an Olympic outing with four medals at Stanford University under coach Greg Meehan.

While being closer to home was one of the reasons for her move, she was looking for something new ahead of the 2024 Olympics. Ledecky, who has clinched medals in her every Olympic appearance, has never had the same coach over her previous three games.

When she attended 2012 London as a teenager, she was training under Yuri Suguiyama, before shifting to Bruce Gemmell ahead of the 2016 Games, and Meehan at the Tokyo Olympics.

So far, Katie Ledecky's inclination to change coaches has always served her well, and it looks like the move to Florida has only upped her game.

Under Nesty, she has broken two world records. In 2022, at her outing at the World Aquatics Championships, she finished with a gold in all four events she partook in. In the same year, Ledecky swam the 1500m for the first time, clocking a 15:08.24, setting a new world record.

The American had an equally impressive time at the 2023 World Championships in Japan, where she claimed two golds and as many silvers. +