In the wake of U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky's decisive win in the women's 1500-meter freestyle race Wednesday at the Paris Olympics, the Atlantic Coast Conference published a graphic claiming the Stanford University alum as part of its legacy — and people noticed.
As noted by Athlon Sports, Stanford left the Pac-12 for the ACC last year. Ledecky, 27, last swam for the Cardinal in 2018.
"The ACC's post boldly used the hashtag #OlympiansMadeHere, implying that Ledecky's achievements were a testament to their conference's excellence," Richard Periera of Athlon Sports reported. "However, fans on social media quickly criticized the ACC, accusing them of 'stolen valor' in relation to the dominant American swimmer."
𝐎𝐋𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐃 🚨
— The ACC (@theACC) July 31, 2024
Ledecky bringing home the 🥇#AccomplishGreatness x #OlympiansMadeHere pic.twitter.com/GjdiTz9wiQ
Said college sports reporter Nicole Auerbach, who works for NBC and The Athletic, "OK I really don't think the ACC gets to claim this."
ESPN's Bill Connelly mockingly wrote, "lol hell yes, ACC legend Katie Ledecky."
BVM Sports laid out Ledeky's resume, with commentary:
By the Numbers
- Katie Ledecky won the 1500m freestyle with a time of 15:30.02, setting an Olympic Record (OR).
- She won eight NCAA championships while at Stanford from 2016-2018, before turning professional.
State of Play
- The ACC's engagement with Stanford athletes continues to generate confusion among fans as they adapt to the new conference alignments.
- Social media reactions highlight the irony and humor in the ACC's attempts to celebrate athletes historically linked to other conferences.
What's Next
As Stanford fully integrates into the ACC, it's likely to see ongoing disputes about athlete affiliations and conference pride as more athletes compete on the national stage. This dynamic could impact future marketing strategies and conference branding.
Bottom Line
The ACC's bid to claim Katie Ledecky underscores the complexities and absurdities of college sports conference realignment, reminding us that an athlete's legacy is tied more to their history than to their current affiliations.
