FLASH! Kate Douglass Ties 50 Freestyle World Record to Conclude Brilliant Double
Less than 20 minutes had passed since Kate Douglass won the 200 breaststroke at the U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials. Douglass was back out on pool deck, swimming in the middle of the pool in the 50 freestyle against training partner and world-record holder Gretchen Walsh.
The two swimmers traded the world record in the long course 50 free over the summer, with Douglass emerging from the record rush as the fastest woman in history. In short course, however, Walsh held an edge, having lowered her own global mark two weeks before the trials at a tune-up meet in Charlottesville.
Now, Douglass co-owns that record. Douglass had recorded the fifth-fastest time ever in the 200 breast a few moments earlier, but she came back and proved the more explosive of the two swimmers on this occasion. She got to the halfway point just in front and held off Walsh’s always-elite underwater kickout to reach the wall in 22.75, matching the world record Walsh set earlier this month. Douglass took two tenths off her previous best time of 22.94, which had ranked her third all-time behind Walsh and former Dutch sprinter Ranomi Kromowidjojo.
Walsh finished off her best time but still with a strong mark of 22.99, quicker than any other active swimmer outside of Douglass. Those two women will be heavily favored to finish 1-2 in the event at the Short Course World Championships, but the order is still to be determined.
Camille Spink put up a stellar time of 23.26 to take third, placing her among the all-time top-10 performers in the event. Spink was no match for the dynamic duo of Douglass and Walsh, but she will have a strong chance to qualify for the Short Course Worlds team in the 100 and 200 free later in the week. Liberty Clark also positioned herself for a big week after taking fourth in 23.42.
