US Nationals, Day 3 Finals: Katharine Berkoff Shatters American Record in Women’s 50 Backstroke
Katharine Berkoff was within reach of an American record in the prelims if the 50 butterfly.
Just five hundredths away, the question was: Could she go faster in finals?
Going head-to-head with Regan Smith, the American record holder, and Claire Curzan, couldn’t hurt. Curzan pushed her to a 27.15 in prelims, and with the brightest lights on the biggest stage, she was even faster breaking the American record in a 26.97.
“I was really excited with it. That was the goal, to go under 27. I want to be a tiny bit faster, but that is good motivation for five weeks from now (at worlds),” Berkoff said. “Honestly, I felt like the details were perfect today, so it wasn’t the details. But the past month, I really shifted in practice and started pushing some really fast 50s, so I knew I was capable of a good time drop. I have gotten a lot stronger this year and I have been able to translate it to the water.”
Smith was just behind in 27.20, one of her fastest times. Curzan finished third in 27.26.
“Honestly, it was a super weird race, and I couldn’t see where everyone was. It felt kind of weird, so I didn’t expect to see that time when I hit the wall, but I was really happy with it,” Berkoff said. “It has been more of a trust-the-process year without there being an NCAA season. It was a lot more yardage than I was used to, but it was the start of a new four-year cycle where it is going to be like that.”
Berkoff said she responded physically to the changes without issue, but mentally, it was a little more difficult.
“These past couple months I have been turning around my mindset,” she said. “We have a super unique situation because like half the backstroke group for the national team is at NC State. It is a good dynamic and we are really lucky to have each other.”
