FLASH! Kate Douglass Lowers World Record in 50 Free to 23.19
A world record still ringing in the air Saturday morning, Kate Douglass made sure not to start her warm down until after Gretchen Walsh was done swimming her 50 free.
Darn the double for which Douglass had to clear lactic acid – Douglass had to make sure that the time next to her teammate’s name read 23.5 or slower before she felt safe getting into the warmdown pool at the Woollett Aquatic Center.
Saturday night, Douglass had no worries.
Douglass destroyed her hours-old world record with a time of 23.19 at night. It’s three tenths quicker than the 23.49 she did Saturday morning, a stunning drop in an event where progress is usually measured in hundredths of a second.
“I had to do a few double takes,” Douglass said. “I was not really sure I was seeing that right because that time just seems like crazy fast to me. Even this morning, going 23.4 seemed crazy. And 23.1 is scarily close to 22, and that’s just not something I thought that female sprinting was going to get towards anytime soon. So it’s pretty crazy.”
Second was Walsh in 23.74, the former world record holder well back of her training partner. Meg Harris was third in 23.89, with Taylor Ruck fourth in 24.23. Both are best times, and Ruck’s is a Canadian record.
Sarah Sjostrom had held the world record since 2017, lowering it at Worlds in 2023 at 23.61. Douglass took it by going 23.59 in Indianapolis on June 19, then Walsh claimed it with a 23.55 in Rome on June 28. Walsh threatened to improve it with a 23.60 at Nationals on Aug. 1. The pair now own the five fastest swims in history.
Douglass set the mark as part of an audacious treble. She went 2:22.57 to take silver in the 200 breast, unable to match the front-end speed in a breakout swim by Canada’s Alexanne LePage. She split 52.23 off the end of the 400 medley relay, the U.S. winning in 3:50.43 for a meet record and a 4.66-second win over Australia.
Part of Douglass’ week has been overcoming a fourth-place finish in the 100 breast. She was the second seed out of prelims but finished off the podium, unable to keep up with the surge of countrywoman McKenzie Siroky, who won in 1:05.32. Tang Qianting’s 1:05.46 and a 1:05.65 by Satomi Suzuki kept Douglass off the podium.
“I was pretty disappointed,” Douglass said Saturday morning. “That race hasn’t really been feeling good all season, and so I thought that maybe some rest would make it better. But trying to not let that affect my 200 breaststroke mentality.”
Walsh felt a little bit of the record chase pressure on the day. The goal would’ve been to improve what she did in the spring, but it feels like progress anyway.
“I definitely think the pressure was kind of on ever since the morning, just like watching Kate break it before me,” Walsh said. “I feel like the world record battle is a pretty emotionally draining thing to be a part of. So I’m kind of happy to be the underdog now again, and looking forward to working on more things in that race and having fun with it. But I’m honestly so proud of all the improvement I’ve made in it this year.”
The other top finishers have plenty to show for themselves, too. Harris broke 24 seconds for the first time since a best of 23.97 at the Paris Olympics.
“It’s been a long time coming two years since I’ve been under the 24 barrier,” she said. “These girls are just putting on a show at this point. They’re on fire, and I definitely have a lot of work to get to where they’re going to be in two years’ time. But I mean the PB, I can’t be more than stoked with that.”
Ruck was .03 under her best time, which dates all the way back to Commonwealth Games in 2018. That’s a Canadian record she’s reset as part of a stellar summer. She just missed out on adding a sixth medal to her week.
“I didn’t really know it was a best time,” Ruck said. “I feel like I go into races with a mindset of seeing what happens. I’ve been having a lot of fun with these races, I love it. Just standing behind the blocks, focusing on the water and letting everything go.”
Torri Huske won a battle of Americans in the B final, going 24.27. She bested Simone Manuel’s 24.40. Erin Gallagher was third in 24.88, .24 seconds off the South African record set in 2021 by Emma Chelius.
