"I never would've imagined"- Katie Ledecky opens up on receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from US President Joe Biden

Katie Ledecky expressed her amazement at receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor an American civilian could achieve.

The 27-year-old was bestowed with the coveted award by US President Joe Biden at the White House.

"A humble leader, Olympian and champion of unparalleled determination, Katie Ledecky is the most decorated female swimmer in history, with 10 Olympic medals and counting," the White house described Ledecky.

Ledecky has had an impressive career throughout which, 26 World Championships medals and ten Olympic medals, six of them being golds. She became the first American swimmer to clinch an individual in three successive editions of the Olympics (2012, 2016 and 2020).

The 27-year-old also holds the record for the highest number of individual golds at the World Championships, surpassing Michael Phelps in 2023.

Ledecky added another major accolade to her already-impressive CV, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The 27-year-old spoke to Sports Illustrated after the ceremony and said that she never imagined receiving the honor.

"I never would've imagined I would receive this recognition," Ledecky said. "It was a thrill to be able to be here. Just a really incredible day meeting some extraordinary people."

Katie Ledecky was not the only Olympian to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom as the late Jim Thorpe was also honoured. Thorpe, who was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold, was awarded posthumously.

Katie Ledecky claims 800m win in 2012 Olympics is "close to her heart"

Katie Ledecky at the TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio

With just 83 days left for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Katie has already qualified for the 2024 US Olympic trials. She will compete in six events and look to secure a berth at the July-August Summer Games.

Katie Ledecky rose to fame with her 800m freestyle performance at the 2012 Olympics, which will also be her priority in Paris. In an interview with NPR, she said that the victory was one which had a special place in her heart.

"I hope I'll be competing in multiple events. And each one is special in a different way. The 800 free has always been my favorite and the event that I swam at my first Olympics in 2012, which I won gold at at age 15. So that's one that I hold a special place for in my heart."