Kate Douglass Enjoying Fandom at UVA Meets, But Steamrolling Toward Olympic Year
At the conclusion of the USA Swimming Golden Goggle Awards on Sunday night, Kate Douglass was called to the stage with Katie Ledecky. The Team USA Athletes shared Female Swimmer of the Year accolades and were presented their awards by Gary Hall Jr. and Anthony Ervin, who happened to tie for the gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
Douglass enjoyed a sensational 2023 season. In addition to guiding the University of Virginia to a third consecutive NCAA team title, Douglass left the summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka with six medals. Individually, Douglass captured the world championship in the 200 individual medley and was the silver medalist in the 200 breaststroke. She also fueled a quartet of American relays to the podium.
Douglass is one of the most-versatile swimmers in the world, equally adept at sprint freestyle and handling the demands of several stroke disciplines. With the Olympic year right around the corner, Douglass continues to train at Virginia, although she opted to bypass a fifth year of collegiate eligibility. During the red-carpet portion of the Golden Goggles, Douglass discussed being a fan of the team this season and her preparation for next year’s Olympic Trials in Indianapolis and Olympic Games in Paris.