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Kate Douglass Breaks Decade-Old American, U.S. Open Records in 200 Breast (2:19.30)

2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

Day 4 Finals Heat Sheet

Well, that’s one way to kick off the Olympic year.

Kate Douglass crushed a winning time of 2:19.30 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Knoxville on Saturday night, lowering her lifetime best by nearly two seconds while also breaking Rebecca Soni‘s American and U.S. Open records from more than a decade ago.

Soni owned the previous American standard at 2:19.59 from 2012 along with the U.S. Open record at 2:20.38 from 2009. Douglass also took down the Pro Swim Series record of 2:20.77 that Annie Lazor set in 2019.

Splits Comparison

Kate Douglass, 2024 Rebecca Soni, 2012
50 breast 32.01 32.49
100 breast 1:07.05 (35.04) 1:08.10 (35.61)
150 breast 1:42.97 (35.92) 1:43.95 (35.85)
200 breast 2:19.30 (36.33) 2:19.59 (35.64)

Tonight’s swim marked a massive leap forward for Douglass, who picked up bronze and silver medals in the 200 breast at the past two World Championships. Her new best time would have captured gold at last July’s Worlds in Fukuoka more than a second ahead of South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker, making Douglass the new favorite heading into the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer with Russian world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova looking like a long-shot to compete.

Before today, Douglass ranked 55th on the all-time performances list and 15th on the all-time performers list. Now the 22-year-old American has rocketed up to 5th and 4th in those respective rankings.

Top 200-Meter Breast Times Ever

  1. Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS) – 2:17.55, 2023
  2. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) – 2:18.95, 2021
  3. Rikke Pedersen (DEN) – 2:19.11, 2013
  4. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) – 2:19.16, 2021
  5. Kate Douglass (USA) – 2:19.30, 2024
  6. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) – 2:19.33, 2021
  7. Yuliya Efimova (RUS) – 2:19.41, 2013
  8. Rebecca Soni (USA) – 2:19.59, 2012
  9. Rikke Pedersen (DEN) – 2:19.61, 2014
  10. Yuliya Efimova (RUS) – 2:19.64, 2017

Douglass is in her first year as a pro swimmer training at the University of Virginia after breaking the NCAA record in the 200-yard breast (2:01.29) as a senior last March.

Douglass scratched out of the 200 IM — though she did time trial the event on Friday with a blistering 2:07.89 — but she’ll return to the pool later during Saturday’s session for a double in the 50 free. On Thursday, she tied Sarah Sjostrom‘s Pro Swim Series record in the 100 free (53.12) en route to a two-second victory over Gretchen Walsh (53.64), Simone Manuel (53.73), Torri Huske (53.82) , and Abbey Weitzeil (54.00).

WOMEN’S 200M BREASTSTROKE — FINAL

Top 8:

  1. Kate Douglass (NYAC) — 2:19.30 *AMERICAN and U.S. OPEN RECORD*
  2. Lilly King (ISC) — 2:24.34
  3. Mona McSharry (TENN) — 2:25.84
  4. Ella Nelson (UVA) — 2:26.28
  5. Tess Cieplucha (TNAQ) — 2:28.92
  6. Alexis Yager (TNAQ) — 2:29.32
  7. Sophie Angus (CAN) — 2:30.82
  8. Hannah Marinovich (CLOV) — 2:31.07

Douglass followed up her opening split of 32.01 with 35.04/35.92/36.33 splits, getting under Soni’s mark by .29 seconds.

Behind her, Lilly King posted a 2:24.34, dropping 3.49 seconds from her prelims time. King easily touched in 2nd place, with Tennessee’s own Mona McSharry taking 3rd in 2:25.84, holding off a late charge from Ella Nelson (2:26.28).

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Seli's_my_baby
9 months ago

There should be relay of each stroke.

Mr Piano
Reply to  Seli's_my_baby
9 months ago

There’s already too many events as it is

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
9 months ago

The King is Dead! Long live the King! In this case, it’s Kate Douglass. Now aim for a sub 1:06 in the 100 meter breaststroke.

Now if Jacoby beats King in the 100 meter breaststroke during the spring. Oh my!

Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
9 months ago

You’re BACK!

Outside Smoke

And without clarifying if the 100m BR is the W 100m Breaststroke or M 100m Breaststroke. Or whether this is calendar year 2024 or we’ve entered some strange dimensional time warp.

I for one am lost.

snailSpace
Reply to  Outside Smoke
9 months ago

This one wins comment of the week! Congratulations!

ACC fan
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
9 months ago

You are a bully! Lilly has done tremendous good for our sport. Back off.

dg5301
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
9 months ago

Lilly just went 1:05 in January. There are 4 or 5 women who could take the gold in the 100 in Paris, and I see her as one of the top 3 as things sit right now.

I’m a huge fan of Lydia as well. She’s going to need PBs, and I believe she can do it.

Kate is awesome and I think she may still have enough upside to challenge Chikunova, which seemed like crazy talk not long ago. It’s a great time to be a fan, and as always, there’s no need to talk crap about anybody to elevate someone else.

Lisa
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
9 months ago

King just help the team win the relay last year and probably gonna qualify for Paris too

Swammer
9 months ago

I want to see KD time trial a SCY 200 breast at a UVA dual meet or Cavalier Invite. She’s got that sub-2:00 in her.

IRO
9 months ago

This has felt like a foregone conclusion for about two years now, but happy to see it happen! Congrats to KD!

Awsi Dooger
9 months ago

I was glad she hit the final wall perfectly. That’s always the time sacrificing variable with Douglass.

I think Douglass was jolted by that recent 100 breaststroke when she trailed Haughey and others by margin. Her early pace looked much different in both breaststroke events this week.

Lilly was not smiling as the announcer rattled off all the records Douglass broke.

Yikes
Reply to  Awsi Dooger
9 months ago

Always looking for drama aren’t you

Not-so-silent Observer
9 months ago

I shouldn’t say I called it. But I did.

After 2023 worlds I said she could be within striking distance of the WR by Paris…

I think this progression speaks for itself.

mds
Reply to  Not-so-silent Observer
9 months ago

Maybe if the record was still 2:18.95.

Steve Nolan
9 months ago

Great googly moogly.

Kate Douglass rules.

snailSpace
9 months ago

Beautiful stroke, very similar to Chikunova’s actually. While I still find it unlikely she will break that WR, I am now much less certain in that belief.

Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reply to  snailSpace
9 months ago

Chikunova is actually more efficient.

You can watch her 200 WR and her 1:04.9 100 swims.

Dolphinbottle88

Wait WHAT? I thought she was slow in the 100. When did she go 104.9???

jeff
Reply to  Dolphinbottle88
9 months ago

2 days before breaking her 2:17.5 swim

Troyy

Where’s the video for her 1:04.9?

KeithM
Reply to  snailSpace
9 months ago

I wouldn’t predict it. But I wouldn’t be shocked. Chikunova took nearly 3 sec off her pb when she broke the WR. Prior to the record she hadn’t been under 2:20.

Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reply to  KeithM
9 months ago

Chikunova was 17 yo when she took nearly 3 seconds off her PB. Which is not unusual for female breaststrokers.

Now, if a 22 yo foreign female breaststroker suddenly takes 3 seconds off an already fast 2:19, y’all be accusing her.

Last edited 9 months ago by Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reality check

Not foreign swimmers. Only Russian and Chinese because of their blatant history in the past to cheat on a systemic level. And the fact that the rest of the world believes that their ethics have changed.

Troyy
Reply to  Reality check
9 months ago

I can assure you it’s not only Russian and Chinese swimmers that are targeted like this.

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  Troyy
9 months ago

hosszu’s lawsuit comes to mind

Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reply to  Troyy
9 months ago

I remember some readers threw thinly veiled accusations at MOC

Troyy

And at Titmus and McKeon after Tokyo.

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Troyy
9 months ago

Yes, Dressel has been accused of being a drug cheat.

Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reply to  Reality check
9 months ago

Obviously you rarely checked Swimswam swimming gallery.

Some readers threw accusations at MOC during and after World Championship.

Etc.

Basically for some people, if American swimmers make incredible improvement, it’s just because they’re talented and work hard

When foreign swimmers make incredible improvement, then it’s because they’re using.

Last edited 9 months ago by Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Philip Johnson

Hmm, but Dressel has been accused several times here of being a drug cheat?

Dolphinbottle88
Reply to  Philip Johnson
9 months ago

By whom?

Babashoff - Woodhead - Evans - Ledecky
Reply to  Philip Johnson
9 months ago

I remember those TUE comments, but those were ALWAYS as a response to some people accusing foreign swimmers first.

carlo
Reply to  snailSpace
9 months ago

Chikunova is very long and very efficient. She doesn’t look fast in the water at all.

Last edited 9 months ago by carlo

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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