Kate Douglass Achieves New World Record in Women’s 50-Meter Freestyle

On Saturday, Kate Douglass set a new world record in the women’s 50-meter freestyle during the preliminary heats at the Pan Pacific Championships. The event took place at the outdoor pool in Irvine, California. Douglass, a 24-year-old from Pelham, New York, completed her heat in an impressive 23.49 seconds.

This remarkable achievement lowered the previous record of 23.55 seconds, which was set by her teammate, Gretchen Walsh, at an international competition in Rome in June. Douglass had also previously set a record in this sprint race, achieving a time of 23.59 seconds during the TYR Pro Swim Series meet held in Indianapolis on June 19. However, Walsh broke that record nine days later.

Douglass is known for her outstanding performance as a five-time Olympic medalist. Notably, she earned a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2024 World Championships. Although she didn’t compete in this event at the 2024 Paris Games, her talent continues to shine.

Gretchen Walsh followed Douglass in the heats, recording a time of 23.78 seconds, making them the top two qualifiers for the evening final on the last day of competition in Irvine. Notably, Douglass’s record was the first individual world record set at the meet, which featured competitors from countries such as the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, and China.