This photo shows an adorable 9-year-old Katie Ledecky meeting Michael Phelps 10 years ago

9-year-old Katie Ledecky was pictured in a photo receiving an autograph from Michael Phelps ten years before she was a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
(Image credit: Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Katie Ledecky had better start practicing her wrist exercises, because she is going to have a whole lot of autographs to sign — on Tuesday, the 19-year-old earned her second and third gold medals, her first two at the Rio Olympic Games.

She might ask Michael Phelps for some pointers; after all, a decade ago, a 9-year-old Ledecky was asking him for his autograph:

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.