FLASH! Kate Douglass Blasts World Record in 200 Breaststroke at World Cup in Incheon
A few months after claiming gold in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Olympic Games in Paris, American Kate Douglass shattered the world record in the short-course version of the event on Thursday during World Cup action in Incheon, South Korea.
Douglass, a multi-event standout and product of the University of Virginia, blasted a time of 2:14.16 for her eight laps. That performance bettered the 2009 global standard of Rebecca Soni, who set the previous world record of 2:14.57.
Their splits:
- Soni, 2009: 31.05 – 1:05.18 (34.13) – 1:40.00 (34.82) – 2:14.57 (34.57)
- Douglass 2024: 30.68 – 1:04.75 (34.07) – 1:39.20 (34.45) – 2:14.16 (34.96)
Douglass notched a victory of more than five seconds over runnerup Tara Kinder of Australia, who touched the wall in 2:19.21. Under world-record pace throughout her race, Douglass went through the 50-meter mark at 30.68 and hit the midway point at 1:04.75. She recorded a split of 1:39.20 at 150 meters and finished strong to become the second UVA-connected athlete to set a world record in the past week. Last weekend, Gretchen Walsh set a world record in the 100-meter individual medley during a dual meet with Florida, an effort that was complemented by three American marks.
Douglass returned later in Thursday’s finals session to win the 100 IM in 56.97.
“My goal tonight was just to win both of those events and to also come away with a world record is really exciting,” Douglass told Olympics.com. “I was very surprised to see the world-record time. I never thought I would honestly be capable of getting that. But it’s a very exciting feeling and I’m excited to see how I improve in that event this year.”
Over the summer, Douglass earned gold in the 200 breaststroke with a triumph over South African Tatjana Smith, who was the reigning Olympic titlist. She added silver in the 200 IM and two relay medals in Paris.
Douglass is about as good in short-course meters as in long-course. After her vaunted career at Virginia, Douglass has accumulated 14 career medals at long-course Worlds and 12 in short-course. At the last Short-Course Worlds in Melbourne in 2022, she won gold in the 200 breast and 200 IM, plus three relay golds and two relay silvers. She set the American record in 200 IM at that meet.
Douglass holds American records in the long-course 50 free and the 200 breast, the latter a Soni mark she took down in January.
Great swim.
But why are the USA swimmers world records ratified much faster than McKeown’s WR from September? Make it make sense.