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Swimmer Katie Ledecky on athlete doping scandals: “I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low”
Team USA swimming star Katie Ledecky, who has more individual Olympic gold medals than any other woman swimmer in history, reacted to a recent report of Chinese swimmers having tested positive for controlled substances before the 2021 Tokyo Games, telling “CBS Sunday Morning” that she hopes for “some accountability.”
In April, The New York Times reported 23 Chinese swimmers, including two who competed directly against Ledecky and her teammates, had tested positive for a banned substance just seven months before the Tokyo Games.
Chinese officials say the swimmers inadvertently ate contaminated food. The World Anti-Doping Agency reportedly declined to take action, even though it appears its own rules should have prohibited those swimmers from competing.
In an interview with correspondent Elaine Quijano to be broadcast on “CBS Sunday Morning” and streamed on Paramount+ June 2, Ledecky said, “In this instance, it doesn’t seem like everything was followed to a T. So, I’d like to see some accountability here. I’d like to see some answers as to why this happened the way it did. And I’d really like to see that steps are taken for the future so that we can regain some confidence in the global system.”
Asked whether she believes the results of the 2021 Games need to be reexamined or rescinded, Ledecky replied, “I mean, I think the whole case has to be reexamined independently and thoroughly and all the information needs to be out there.”
Ledecky (whose new book, “Just Add Water: My Swimming Life,” will be published June 11) won her first Olympic gold at age 15, and has earned seven gold and three silver medals, from the London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo Games. She is currently preparing to compete in the Paris Olympic Games, which begin in July.
“It’s hard going into Paris knowing that we’re gonna be racing some of these athletes,” she said. “And I think our faith in some of the systems is at an all-time low. You try not to think too much about when you’re actually racing. And the best thing to do is to just go out there and try to win.
“It’s tough when you have in the back of your head that it’s not necessarily an even playing field,” she said.
Watch a preview of Katie Ledecky’s interview by clicking on the video above.
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As housing costs skyrocket and the demand for affordable homes surges, builders across the U.S. are constructing entire blocks of single-family homes specifically designed for renters. These so-called built-to-rent communities can offer another option for those who want a home but cannot afford to buy one.
Texas resident Richard Belote says his rented home 90 minutes from Houston is a “good stepping stone, because interest rates are “just too high to manage.” Despite saving diligently to buy a home, he and his fiancee feel priced out of their house hunt.
“Just really kind of crossing our fingers that those rates go down,” he said.
Belote is far from alone.
A July CNN poll found 86% of renters say they can’t afford to buy a home and 54% say they believe it’s unlikely they’ll ever be able to. However, another poll found 81% of renters want to own a residence in the future.
“House prices have gone up by more than 40% in just four years,” said CBS News business analyst Jill Schlesinger. “There are a lot of people out there who really, really want to be in homes, and they just can’t afford to get there,” Schlesinger said.
Built-to-rent communities began in Phoenix during the Great Recession to meet that demand. They are higher density and smaller cottage-sized homes — a literal cottage industry now spreading in cities across the Sunbelt, including Phoenix, Atlanta and Dallas.
Brent Long leads the build-to-rent expansion for Christopher Todd Communities in Arizona. He says the renters range in age from Gen Z to Baby Boomers.
“It’s really renters by choice and renters by need,” Long said.
When asked if the concept goes against a more traditional view of buying a home to achieve the American Dream, Long said, “I don’t think it takes it away. It solves some issues that are out there in terms of affordability, availability.”
Cassie Wilson rents by choice in Phoenix, Arizona. She says the “perfect” arrangement allows her to enjoy many amenities without the homeownership responsibilities.
“I can live here in a house that is fully up kept by someone else. I would like to buy a house out here. But on the flip side, I still want to travel,” Wilson said.
Though a growing industry, these built-to-rent communities made up only 7.9% of new residential constructions last year, according to Arbor Realty Trust.
Arizona housing advocates warn that the properties are not enough to push prices down, but welcome anything that helps to address the housing shortage.
Back in Texas, Belote said he wakes up every morning and enjoys his backyard with the dogs and his cup of coffee. It’s a home-sweet-home as he waits for a break in the housing market.
