2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE
- January 10-13, 2024
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- LCM (50 meters)
- Start Times
- All Prelims: 9am (EST)
- Thurs-Sat Finals: 6pm (EST)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap
- Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap
After an impressive double on Thursday night that included tying the Pro Swim Series Record in the women’s 100 free and establishing a new lifetime best in the 100 breast, Kate Douglass kept the ball rolling on Friday.
After scratching out of the 100 fly during the preliminary session, Douglass took to the pool for a time trial in the 200 IM, dropping a season-best time of 2:07.89 to fall just eight-tenths shy of her personal best and U.S. Open Record of 2:07.09 set at the U.S. National Championships last summer.
Douglass’ swim marks the third-fastest of her career and her third time breaking 2:08, having also gone 2:07.17 at the 2023 World Championships where she was the gold medalist.
Split Comparison
| 2023 U.S. Nationals | 2023 World Champs | 2024 PSS Knoxville TT |
| 26.96 | 27.28 | 26.66 |
| 1:00.44 (33.48) | 1:01.17 (33.89) | 1:00.24 (33.58) |
| 1:36.69 (36.25) | 1:37.34 (36.17) | 1:37.25 (37.01) |
| 2:07.09 (30.40) | 2:07.17 (29.83) | 2:07.89 (30.64) |
Douglass was under her U.S. Open Record pace through the first 100, and was notably nearly a full second quicker at the halfway mark compared to where she was at the World Championships before falling slightly off the pace on the back half.
The 22-year-old came into the meet with a season-best time of 2:08.46 set at last month’s U.S. Open, and thus doesn’t improve on her current world rankings, which is #3 behind Australia’s Kaylee McKeown and China’s Yu Yiting.
2023-2024 LCM Women 200 IM
MCINTOSH
2:06.56
| 2 | Kaylee McKEOWN | AUS | 2:06.63 | 06/10 |
| 3 | Kate DOUGLASS | USA | 2:06.79 | 06/22 |
| 4 | Alex WALSH | USA | 2:07.45 | 08/02 |
| 5 | Sydney PICKREM | CAN | 2:07.68 | 05/19 |
In terms of overall performances, Douglass’ swim ties for 30th all-time and sixth-fastest among Americans. Only American Record holder Ariana Kukors, Douglass and Alex Walsh have broken 2:08 among U.S. swimmers.
Douglass’ appearance in the time trial more than likely tells us that she won’t race the 200 IM on Saturday, where she was slated for a marquee showdown with the fastest swimmer in the world last year, Canadian Summer McIntosh, and Walsh, the 2022 world champion and Douglass’ University of Virginia training partner.
McIntosh went 2:06.89 in the 200 IM at the Canadian Trials last year but ended up scratching the event at the World Championships.
Douglass is also entered to race the 200 breast and 50 free tomorrow, with the 200 IM sandwiched between the two on the schedule.
In addition to being the reigning world champion in the long course 200 IM, Douglass also holds that distinction in short course meters, having won the 2022 SC World title in Melbourne, and she was also the 2023 NCAA champion in the event, setting a new U.S. Open and American Record in the short course yards pool.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Douglass was the bronze medalist in the 200 IM behind Japan’s Yui Ohashi and Walsh.
The backstroke is stalled. That’s the key variable. She got away with ceding big distance last year but that will never work in Paris.
Didn’t she also set a 2:07 in practice not too long ago (hand timed maybe)? what a beast
Allegedly set a 2:07 flat in practise but hasn’t been near that in the times she’s competed since.
Thoughts and prayers to Yanyan
Winner for comment of the day!
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I’ve been hyping the 200 IM showdown between Douglass and McIntosh for a while now and it just never happens 🥲
Sink or Swim Yanyan: The winning time in the 200IM tomorrow is faster than KD’s time
Phenomenal swim. I think she’s ready for 2:06 in Doha. But shoot – this must mean we’re going to once again miss the Summer/KD/Walsh showdown!
Niiiiiiiice! Wish we could see them all race tomorrow though.
The splits consistently show that if she pushes the fly+back, her freestyle suffers pretty significantly (not the case for Summer for example). So that 29. speed on the last leg isn’t guaranteed.
All it shows is that she is not fully rested no? Presumably she would be a second faster in her back half if so.
The other two data points I’ve used to deduce this are two swims from rested meets (incidentally, the other two featured in this article).
But it is plausible that this will change come Doha Worlds, in which case a 2:06 is very possible.
I don’t think YanYan is getting her 2IM showdown lol
Is YanYan to KD what Brian Windhorst was to LBJ? If so, who is KD’s Skip Bayless?