Photos: Young Katie Ledecky meets Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan

(Ledecky Family)
(Ledecky Family PHOTO)

Katie Ledecky is dominating the world’s spotlight at these Rio Olympics, crushing her competition while deftly handling all the attention that comes with it.

How does she do it? Well, it couldn’t have hurt that the 19-year-old American swimmer got an early chance to see how two sporting icons carried themselves. As Ledecky becomes a global superstar in Rio, two photos of her meeting Michael Phelps and Michael Jordan as a child are being passed around social media.

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The picture with Phelps was taken at an autograph signing in 2006, long before Ledecky started earning hype as the “next Michael Phelps” of American swimming.

The picture with Jordan was taken long before that. As a two-year-old, Ledecky attended a Washington Wizards game in the owner’s box and met His Airness. (Her uncle used to own a stake in both the Wizards and Washington Capitals.)

“I don’t know if I remember (meeting Jordan) or remember it from seeing the video so many times,” Ledecky told the New York Times in 2014.

(Ledecky family)
(Ledecky family PHOTO)

Meeting Phelps and Jordan wasn’t Ledecky’s only preparation for the demands of fame one day. She also appeared on The Today Show as a toddler and was “interviewed” by Al Roker.

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