Katharine Berkoff Talks Making Olympic Team Amidst Historic Women’s U.S. Backstroke Depth
North Carolina State alum Katharine Berkoff has emerged as seemingly the No. 2 sprint backstroke swimmer in Team USA’s arsenal. After finishing fourth in the 100 backstroke at the Olympic Trials for the Tokyo Games, Berkoff made two straight World Championships teams and won four medals in the intervening quad. A second-place finish in the 100 back at the 2024 U.S Olympic Trials earned her an Olympic berth, following in the footsteps of her Olympian father David Berkoff. The elder Berkoff won silver and bronze in the 100 backstroke in 1988 and 1992, and defined the stroke with his underwater prowess.
At the Paris Olympics, Berkoff clocked 57.98 to win a bronze medal, before adding a gold medal in the 400 medley relay for her prelims efforts. Berkoff claimed five medals at the SCM Worlds in Budapest in December to cap off a remarkable year.
Into the 2025 calendar year, Berkoff has not missed a beat. Training at N.C. State, she swims alongside backstroke talents Kennedy Noble, Leah Shackley and Rhyan White. The latter two swimmers were also present at the TYR Pro Swim Series stop in Sacramento.
Berkoff’s swims in Sacramento were just off of her times from the Westmont meet. In the 100 backstroke, she pulled in a 59.69 to crack the minute barrier for the second time this calendar year.
NC State Training Group and U.S. Backstroke Depth
It’s no secret that U.S. backstroke carries uncalcuable depth. At the last two Olympic Trials, contenders for the Olympic podium were left home. Berkoff describes that legacy both on a national and personal level to be a driving factor for her confidence. She’s an Olympian now, and has proven her mettle in the pool year after year.
I feel like I’ve always grown up with this same group of backstroke girls. We’re kind of all pretty close in age. So I’ve grown up racing them which has been really cool, and I definitely think it’s more rewarding to have really high competition and be successful in that because you have to fight a little harder and it’s really cool to be able to grow up with them, race them all the time and see everyone be successful. I mean, it’s a pretty special thing to be a part of.
Much of the top backstroke athletes on Team USA are Berkoff’s own teammates. Berkoff, Shackley, Noble, and White have all represented the U.S. internationally. Berkoff ranks fourth all-time in the 100 back (57.83), White 14th (58.43), and Noble 20th (58.63).