Does the world's greatest female athlete live in water?

Truly great things last a long while. Poetry. The Godfather. Blue whales. Trees. And Katie Ledecky in a pool.

- Rohit Brijnath

You're a sports fan, so you know her, right? This woman who's arguably the greatest female athlete of the past decade from a sport which doesn't get the regular respect it's owed. Not everyone swims but you don't need to dance to admire Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Ledecky does stuff that is other-worldly and we're not just talking about swimming a lap with a glass of chocolate milk on her head and not spilling a drop. Even Quah Ting Wen shakes her head. The champion Singapore freestyler knows that 50m of backstroke, with the glass balanced on the forehead, is one thing. But in freestyle, on the back of the head?

"Very difficult," says Quah.

When Ledecky did that swim years ago she posted a winking caption: "Possibly one of the best swims of my career!" In truth, trying to find her best swim is like sorting through Daniel Day-Lewis' film repertoire for a favourite.

Her first Olympic victory in the 800m as a 15-year-old in 2012? Or her 1,500m gold at the 2024 Olympics by over 10 seconds? Or her latest world record last week in the 800m freestyle at 28? We all rightfully went gaga over Usain Bolt, but she does stuff in water that no one has ever done on land.