World Championships, Day Four Prelims: Kate Douglass Dominates 200 Breast Prelims, Looking for Fourth Gold

Kate Douglass United States of America reacts after winning the gold medal in the 200m Individual Medley Women Final during the FINA Swimming Short Course World Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Melbourne, Australia, December 13th, 2022. Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Kate Douglass -- Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

A Special Thanks to Deep Blue Media for providing the images from this meet

World Championships, Day Four Prelims: Kate Douglass Dominates 200 Breast Prelims, Looking for Fourth Gold

In a short prelims session on the fourth day of the Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia, the only women’s events on the program were the 200 breaststroke and 50 freestyle, plus the mixed 200 free relay. Kate Douglass has been one of the star performers so far at the meet, and after winning a world title in the 200 IM plus three relay medals, she could take a shot at the world record in the 200 breast after leading the way in prelims.

Later on, Poland’s Kasia Wasick topped the field in a tight prelims race in the 50 free, just ahead of a fellow medalist from the long course World Championships, Australia’s Meg Harris.

Mixed 200 Freestyle Relay

The top three teams in the mixed 200 freestyle relay were split by just three tenths of a second heading into finals. France led the way in 1:29.69 behind a team of Florent Manaudou, Maxime Grousset, Melanie Henique and Mary-Ambre Moluh. Manaudou, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the 50 free and a medalist in the event in 2016 and 2021, led off in 21.10.

Australia’s Flynn Southam, Matt Temple, Madison Wilson and Emma McKeon took second in 1:29.82 with McKeon again splitting under 23 on the anchor leg after doing so on Australia’s silver-medal-winning women’s 200 free relay Thursday evening. The Aussies are sure to add Kyle Chalmers in finals after Chalmers anchored the Aussie men to 200 free relay gold Thursday.

The Netherlands’ Stan Pijenburg, Nyls Korstanje, Maaike de Waard and Marrit Steenbergen placed third in 1:29.95, just ahead of the United States’ Shaine Casas, Hunter Armstrong, Natalie Hinds and Alex Walsh (1:29.97). The Americans could add Michael Andrew, Hunter Armstrong or David Curtiss to the relay in finals while two out of Claire Curzan, Torri Huske and Kate Douglass will surely handle the women’s legs in finals.

China, New Zealand, Japan and Brazil also got into the final.

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Women’s 200 Breaststroke

Kate Douglass of the United States has already won three gold medals, including individual gold in the 200 IM, at the Short Course World Championships, and she will be in pole position for another in the 200 breaststroke final. Douglass dominated the prelims of the event with a time of 2:16.52, leaving her two full seconds ahead of long course world champion and U.S. teammate Lilly King. Douglass recently broke her own American record in the 200-yard breast after taking bronze in the 200-meter breast at the long course Worlds in June.

King placed second in 2:18.59, just ahead of the Netherlands’ Tes Schouten (2:18.70). Canada’s Sydney Pickrem and China’s Tang Qianting tied for fourth in 2:19.57, just ahead of the swimmer who finished between King and Douglass at long course Worlds, Australia’s Jenna Strauch (2:19.75). Denmark’s Thea Blosterberg (2:19.88) and Great Britain’s Abbie Wood (2:20.26) both got into the final.

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Women’s 50 Freestyle

Poland’s Kasia Wasick has earned her first global-level medals over the past year, first with a bronze at the Short Course World Championships in 2021 and then a silver medal behind Sarah Sjostrom at the long course version of Worlds in June. Wasick swam a time of 23.74 to edge out Australia’s Meg Harris by three hundredths, with Denmark’s Julie Jensen just behind in 23.79.

Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin and France’s Melanie Henique tied for fourth in 23.86, while Australia’s Emma McKeon, the Olympic gold medalist in the 50 free in 2021, placed sixth in 23.93. Sweden’s Michelle Coleman (23.94) and the USA’s Erika Brown (23.98) also broke 24. Brown tied Harris for bronze in the 50 free at long course Worlds.

Slovenia’s Neza Klancar, the USA’s Claire Curzan, the Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova, the Netherlands’ Valerie van Roon, China’s Quingeng Wu, the Netherlands’ Kim Busch, New Zealand’s Rebecca Moynihan and South Africa’s Caitlin de Lange also qualified for semifinals.

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