Gentleman Bryce Harper assists Katie Ledecky with Olympic medals
Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky proved she’s more than a one-sport star on Wednesday night at Nationals Park. Ledecky, who won four gold medals and one silver at the Rio Olympics, fired a perfect strike for the ceremonial first pitch before Washington’s game against the rival Baltimore Orioles.
The Bethesda, Mary. native was also joined by Nationals superstar Bryce Harper, who accompanied her on the field and proudly held her Olympic medals while she brought the heat.
Hilarious moment as Katie Ledecky throws out ceremonial 1st pitch. Removes all her medals 1st and hands them 1 at a time to Bryce Harper.
— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) August 24, 2016
Katie Ledecky asked Bryce Harper to hold her medals, then threw a strike. Multi-sport athlete. pic.twitter.com/ocB1nXKlsd
— Alex Putterman (@AlexPutterman) August 24, 2016
1. Momentarily remove bling
2. Throw strike
3. Grab a pic with the gang pic.twitter.com/gOeGpke7Xb— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 24, 2016
That’s the gentlemanly thing to do. It also provided a fun moment for the fans and for the decorated Olympic star herself.
Needless to say, the Nationals rolled out the red carpet for Ledecky. Before throwing her first pitch, the team aired a video tribute, which included a clip of her memorable world record victory in the 800-meter freestyle.
We dare say they were even a little starstruck.
She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here. She's here. *breathes into paper bag* pic.twitter.com/t5iBUweDtj
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) August 24, 2016
This is actually the third time Ledecky has thrown out the first pitch before a Nationals game. The team invited Ledecky to throw a ceremonial first pitch in 2012 after her gold-medal performance at the London Olympics and then again before the team’s first postseason game against the San Francisco Giants in 2014. This one was a little different though, as Ledecky came home one of the brightest stars of the entire games.
It’s a welcome home of sorts, and certainly a nod to her accomplishments. It may be something of a farewell too, as Ledecky will soon begin her freshman year at Stanford.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!