Pelham’s  Kate Douglass won her second World Cup championship in a row last month, by earning the most points of any woman in the series, and setting two world records in the short-course 100-meter freestyle (short-course is competed in a 25-meter pool). The World Cup is an annual competition contested over three weeks in three different locations.

The 2025 series consisted of stops in Carmel, Indiana; Westmont, Illinois; and Toronto, and Douglass flourished in each one, against top swimmers from all over the world. In preserving her World Cup title from last year, she scored 177.5 points, surpassing Gretchen Walsh – a fellow American – who finished in second with 177.3 points.

Throughout the series, Douglass won the same three events in every location – the 100-meter freestyle, 100-meter breastroke, and 200-meter breaststroke, earning her $10,000 bonuses for achieving these sweeps. She also added to her point total by placing second twice in the 100-meter individual medley, which she swam at the Carmel and Westmont stops. 

However, Douglass’ biggest individual accomplishment at the World Cup remains her consecutive world records in the 100-meter freestyle. Having won the event in Carmel, she set her first world record in Westmont. Then, she turned in in an astounding performance in Toronto.   Her time of 49.93 seconds shattered her own record of 50.19, which she had set a week earlier in Westmont, becoming the first woman under 50 seconds in the event. Before Douglass’ rise, Cate Campbell of Australia held the record at 50.25 seconds, which had stood firm since 2017.

On the men’s side, Hungarian Hubert Kos snagged the title of the male 2025 World Cup champion with 175.8 points, securing a win in every meet through the events of 50-meter backstroke, 100-meter backstroke, and 200-meter backstroke.

Douglass’ accomplishments have set her apart as one of the highest achieving and well rounded women in the sport, and defined her as one of the most accomplished and versatile athletes in swimming history.

From Carmel to Westmont to Toronto, Douglass didn’t just win races, she made her mark among the sport’s all-time great athletes.