Editor’s note: On Sunday, June 28, Gretchen Walsh surpassed Kate Douglass’ world record, set nine days ago in Indianapolis. In a swim meet in Rome, Walsh recorded a time of 23.55 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle swimming sprint, replacing Douglass, at least for now, as the world’s fastest women’s swimmer. Walsh and Douglass train together at the University of Virginia. After Walsh set the new record, Douglass posted on Instagram that it “was fun while it lasted,” according to the website SwimSwam.
Pelham native Kate Douglass has made history again in the swimming pool, setting one of the sport’s most significant world records in long-course meters earlier this month. On June 19, the Olympic swimmer set a new world record in the women’s 50-meter freestyle at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis. Douglass finished the race in 23.59 seconds, beating the previous world record of 23.61 seconds held by Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström.
Setting this record in the so-called “splash and dash” – the swimming equivalent of the 100-meter dash – essentially makes Douglass the fastest women’s swimmer ever.
In an interview on the pool deck with NBC Sports immediately following the race, Douglass said, “That’s a lot faster than I ever thought I would go tonight, or ever, so–wow–I’m just really excited.”
Douglass made the finals by delivering the fastest time in the preliminary heats. In the finals, she faced many other top swimmers, including fellow Olympian and University of Virginia teammate Gretchen Walsh–with whom, prior to this race–she shared the American record in the event. Douglass also won the 50-meter butterfly, the 200-meter individual medley, and the 200-meter breaststroke at the meet.
The 50-meter freestyle is one of the shortest events in swimming, lasting around 24 seconds for the elite competitors. Because the race is so quick, even a minuscule difference in time can distinguish first place from the rest of the field.
Douglass, who grew up in Pelham, has already built an impressive swimming career. She represented Team USA at both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and has won multiple Olympic medals. Her latest accomplishment gives Pelham residents another reason to be inspired by one of their hometown athletes.
With additional international competitions still ahead, Douglass continues to build her legacy in the sport. Her world-record swim in Indianapolis is another major achievement in a career that has already included success on the Olympic stage.
