In The Know

Biden speaks with Olympians Ledecky, Lyles

US President Joe Biden speaks at the Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, US, on Monday, July 29, 2024. Biden assailed the conservative majority of the Supreme Court over its recent rulings, calling for new binding ethics rules and term limits for justices - a sweeping proposal that would fundamentally alter the top US court. (Sergio Flores/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

President Biden spoke to Olympians Katie Ledecky and Noah Lyles on Tuesday and congratulated them on their recent gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to the White House.

“This afternoon, the President called Team USA Olympic Athletes Katie Ledecky and Noah Lyles,” White House deputy press secretary Emilie Simons said in a statement.

“The President congratulated swimmer Katie Ledecky on winning two gold medals in the Paris 2024 Olympics and becoming the most decorated woman in U.S. Olympic history,” Simons continued. “The President congratulated sprinter Noah Lyles on winning gold in the 100-meter dash and being the fastest man in the world. He also wished Lyles good luck in the 200M and 4x100M relay.”

At the Paris Olympics, Ledecky recently snatched the gold in both the 1,500-meter and 800-meter freestyle events. She is also now the most decorated female American Olympian. The 2024 Olympics are Ledecky’s fourth Olympics; her first games were in London in 2012. 

Lyles nabbed his own gold in the 100-meter race at the Olympics last weekend. The Paris games are his second Olympics; the Tokyo Olympics were his first three years ago. Both he and Ledecky are from the Washington, D.C., area.