DULLES, Va. -- Katie Ledecky received a hero's welcome when she returned to the United States Wednesday. She had traveled home from a little trip she took to Rio de Janeiro.
Fans, friends and random travelers who happened to be at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia crowded around a frosted-glass door that opened up to reveal Ledecky, who won five medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, four of them gold.
Katie Ledecky is home pic.twitter.com/fMAcI376FZ
— Kelyn Soong (@KelynSoong) August 17, 2016
Ledecky, who had all of her medals around her neck, was swarmed by old swim teammates the moment she stepped out.
"It means so much to me, their support. I felt it the whole week in Rio," Ledecky said at a press conference at the airport.
Washington Post Social Editor Rick Sanchez did a Facebook Live before Ledecky arrived, talking to some of those old teammates.
One of them said Ledecky's dominance was nothing new. The world witnessed just how dominant Ledecky was in the 800-meter freestyle race when she broke her own world record, finishing 11 seconds ahead of second place.
"We have lots of pictures of Katie alone in the pool because she is so far ahead of everyone. And there is almost an identical picture from the Olympics where there was no one else in the pool," her teammate said.
One of the people waiting at baggage claim was Zach Schwartz. Schwarz was on the same connecting flight as Ledecky, traveling from Houston.
Schwartz did not realize it at the time, but his children were sitting next to Ledecky on the plane a few rows in front of him. He asked Ledecky to switch with him so he could sit with his children, which Ledecky happily agreed to do.
"Kids got a bit angry because she knew who she was," Schwartz said.
Ledecky will take some time off, but she has already said swimming in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo is a goal. Ledecky is also about to start her freshman year at Stanford University.
