US Olympic Swimming 2012: Just How Good Can Katie Ledecky Be?

The London 2012 Games were literally not in the plans for 15-year-old swimmer Katie Ledecky.

As part of the long-term plan for her career, Ledecky and her coach Yuri Suguiyama were following a program that would prepare her to be a threat in the 2016 games.

But there she was at the Olympic trials in Omaha, unexpectedly qualifying for Team USA with a first-place finish of 8:19.78 in the 800-meter freestyle. Ledecky didn’t just win, she beat veteran Kate Ziegler by two seconds and Ziegler's former trials record.

The time was also the second fastest in the world this year, and now Ledecky will be in the hunt for a gold medal. So the question is, can Ledecky pull this off?

Clearly, Ledecky’s times show that she can. But Ledecky is young, and not just in terms of age. She has little experience competing at the senior level internationally. This has been an intentional move on the part of her coach, who said he “doesn’t like to rush the process.”

“Katie could have skipped some steps, but she has learned from each experience and still moved up the competitive ladder,” Suguiyama told NBCOlympics.com. “Some people questioned us not taking her to Nationals last summer, but I think it was great that she was able to go to juniors, win four races and win the high-point award.”

So Ledecky is used to winning. And even though this hasn’t always been against the best-of-the-best in the world, this could be what helps her be successful in London.

She doesn’t know any better than to win.

“I had a lot of confidence going into that race,” Ledecky told ESPN.com after her win at the trials.

Ledecky admitted she may have started off the race a little too quickly—she was on world-record pace in the early goings—but that didn’t hurt her in the end.

Suguiyama told Dan Friedell of ESPNHS that Ledecky is “the best 14- or 15-year-old” to have come through his club and that she has “a unique ability to focus on each race.” This is another reason Ledecky could end up with gold around her neck. She’ll need that focus on the big stage of the Olympics.

Everyone knows the perils that come with expecting too much from young athletes. Stories like those of Michelle Wie and Freddy Adu remind us that expecting too much early on can be career killers for teen athletes. Often times, the focus never matches the talent or too much pressure can't be overcome.

Ledecky is in the best position to avoid those pitfalls. Qualifying for an Olympics without sacrificing a plan good for her long-term success is a bonus, and we should see this young talent in a place comfortable enough to do well.