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Kate Douglass Smashes U.S. Open Record – 4th Fastest Performer in History

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

Kate Douglass‘s versatility is nearly unparalleled. Despite being the American Record holder in the 50 free, Douglass opted not to swim that event this morning and instead to concentrate on the finals of the 200 IM. Some would say this move paid off in spades, as she demolished her own U.S. Open Record and posted a time of 2:06.79.

Her time this evening eclipses her former personal best of 2:07.05 from last February’s Doha World Championships.

Fly Back Breast Free
New PB and US Open 26.78 1:00.05 (33.27) 1:36.62 (36.57) 2:06.79 (30.17)
Old PB 26.81 1:00.04 (33.23) 1:36.84 (36.80) 2:07.05 (30.21)
Kukors AR. 27.72 59.24 (31.52) 1:36.31 (37.43) 2:06.15 (29.84)

Not only is the swim a new US Open record, surpassing her 2:07.09 from last summer’s Nationals, but it also moves her into rarefied air as she is now just one of six swimmers to have broken the 2:07 barrier, and she ranks as the fourth fastest.

Fastest Women’s 200 IM Performersย 

  1. Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2015) – 2:06.12
  2. Ariana Kukors, USA (2009) – 2:06.15
  3. Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2024) – 2:06.63
  4. Kate Douglass, USA (2024) – 2:06.79
  5. Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, GBR (2016) – 2:06.88
  6. Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023) – 2:06.89

With both McKeown and McIntosh likely to swim this event in Paris and Douglass joining the sub 2:07 club, this event will be the fastest the 200 IM has ever been. Alex Walsh, who has a personal best of 2:07.13, ranks as the 7th fastest performer in history, and the pair are the only two American swimmers who are within a second of Kukor’s legendary American record from the 2009 Rome World Championships, where Kukors set a then World Record of 2:06.15. The next fastest American is the retired Kathleen Baker, whose best was 2:08.32.

WOMENโ€™S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEYโ€” FINAL

  • World Record: 2:06.12 โ€“ Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2015)
  • World Junior Record: 2:06.89 โ€“ Summer McIntosh, Canada (2023)
  • American Record: 2:06.15 โ€“ย Ariana Kukorsย (2009)
  • U.S. Open Record: 2:07.09 โ€“ย Kate Douglass, USA (2023)
  • 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials Champion:ย Alex Walshย โ€“ 2:09.30
  • 2024 Olympic Qualifying Time: 2:11.47

Final:ย 

  1. Kate Douglassย (NYAC), 2:06.79ย U.S. Open Record, CR
  2. Alex Walshย (NAC), 2:07.86
  3. Isabel Ivey (GSC), 2:10.09
  4. Beata Nelson (UN), 2:10.38
  5. Leah Hayes (TIDE), 2:11.81
  6. Zoe Dixon (FLOR), 2:12.01
  7. Lilla Bognar (TG), 2:12.48
  8. Lucy Bell (ALTO), 2:13.67

Kate Douglassย has done it โ€” she smashes her U.S. Open Record from 2023 and becomes the 4th fastest performer in history with a blistering 2:06.79. Sheโ€™s just the 6th woman in history to get under the 2:07 barrier in this event. She and her Virginia teammateย Alex Walshย went 1-2 in the event, with Walsh punching her ticket to Paris and joining G. Walsh on an Olympic team together.

Douglass jumped on the race from the start; she opened the race in 26.78, about five-tenths under world record pace. She was the only one who opened their race sub-27 asย Beata Nelsonย turned 2nd in 27.23. By the 100 though, A. Walsh had inched up on Douglass. Douglass split 33.27 on backstroke to A. Walshโ€™s 32.74, maintaining just a .13 lead.

A. Walsh continued to push on the breaststroke leg but Douglass gained a little more room with a 36.57 split, widening the gap to two-tenths at the final turn. Douglass brought her race home in 30.17, shaking off Walsh and speeding to her final time of 2:06.79. This is her third event win at these Trials, adding to her 100 free and 200 breast wins earlier in the week.

A. Walsh split 31.04 in the freestyle leg. Itโ€™s the third slowest freestyle split in this final, but Walsh had built up more than enough of a gap during the rest of the race that she touched second without any challengers around her. She clocked 2:07.86, a time she described herself as โ€œhappy with for now,โ€ but continued that she was โ€œexcited to see what we can do in Parisโ€ as the pair look to make a second-straight Olympic podium.

Isabel Ivey, meanwhile, charged in lane 1 on the freestyle leg. She closed in 29.92, moving from 5th at the last turn all the way into third. Ivey posted 2:10.09, a second personal best in this event at this meet.

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gitech
4 months ago

Douglass 2:05,8/2:06,2
Mcintosh 2:06,3
Mckeown 2:06,8/2:07,1
Walsh 2:06,9/2:07,3

Jonathan
4 months ago

I keep hearing that Alex Walsh doesnโ€™t have a week stroke in the 200 IM, but she always fades in the freestyle leg, so youโ€™d have to say that freestyle is her weak stroke.

Boomer
4 months ago

Latest times from the big 4:

McKeown: 27.58/31.83/36.87/30.35 = 2:06.63
Douglass: 26.78/33.27/36.57/30.17 = 2:06.79
McIntosh: 27.03/31.84/38.16/30.03 = 2:07.06
A Walsh: 27.44/32.74/36.64/31.04 = 2:07.86

(All from June 2024, except for McIntosh which is from May)

Walsh can probably go faster in Paris, closer to or maybe even faster than her PB of 2:07:13 (from 2022) especially since it’s her only event.

I think McKeown and Douglass will be close to their PB but likely not better, given their heavy schedules as well.

McIntosh will likely be faster, but she also has a huge schedule. But if anyone can throw down a big PB, it would be her.

Pickrem is lurking just behind with her recent big PB… Read more ยป

TomDeanBoxall
Reply to  Boomer
4 months ago

I have a feeling McIntosh is going to either win this event or come fourth. On the hand, I agree she’s the most likely to drop a big PB (ceiling + age) but also, I could see her being so tired that she is a bit off her season best and Walsh snoops in to take bronze.

I’m rooting for McIntosh to win the event and continue the medley double streak, but can’t help but think back to both years at Worlds where she added in the 4 IM (a little bit last year, but that might be the difference).

Boomer
4 months ago

I don’t recall Kathleen Baker officially retiring?

Awsi Dooger
4 months ago

Her backstroke underwater was much better tonight. With Douglass it’s going to come down to how well she hits the turns. She never adjusts strokes so is vulnerable to long glide on both the butterfly leg and breaststroke leg. The relay duty also impacts how strong she might me at the end of a long meet.

McIntosh’s edge is surreal raw ability and upside. McKeown has the grit and strength. Douglass is world class on three of the four disciplines. Walsh is very good at everything but needs help with others not being at their best.

swimfan
4 months ago

In the best times list on Kate’s bio at https://staging.swimswam.com/bio/kate-douglass/, her AR 23.91 isn’t listed for 50 FREE. It says

50 FREE 24.54 05/15/21 2021 PRO SWIM SERIES
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

James
4 months ago

It’s been a long time since Kate swam a fully tapered 200 IM and the last time she did it was one of the greatest swims in NCAA history imo !! My gut feeling is Kate will swim a 2;04 high at the Olympics!! That’s just a bit below what her 2023 NCAA 200 IM converts to, and Kate always performs when the stakes are highest !! My money is on Douglass for the WIN !! ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ ๐ŸŠโ€โ™‚๏ธ. ๐Ÿ‘โค๏ธ๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ

Sub13
Reply to  James
4 months ago

She has literally added time from trials every time she has swam since Tokyo

Mark69
Reply to  James
4 months ago

She had never broken 2.07 until a few hours ago, and no one has ever broken 2.06, but you think sheโ€™s breaking 2.05 in Paris, towards the end of what will be a hard program for her. I love KD, but no one is breaking 2.05 in Paris.

Genevieve Nnaji
Reply to  James
4 months ago

She added time in all her events between 2023 trials to 2023 Fukuoka

Jonathan
Reply to  James
4 months ago

This is by far the worst take Iโ€™ve read in the SwimSwam comment section in a loooong time.

Viking Steve
4 months ago

Intelligent, talented, grounded… and crushing it!

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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, โ€ฆ

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