Kate Douglass blazes to 50 free world record in Pan Pacific prelims

Kate Douglass, an American swimmer hailing from New York City's Pelham suburb, etched her name in the record books during the preliminary heats of the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Irvine, California. On Saturday, the 24-year-old shattered the world record in the women's 50-meter freestyle, clocking in at an astonishing 23.49 seconds.

This feat surpassed the previous mark of 23.55, previously set by her teammate Gretchen Walsh at an international competition in Rome earlier this year. Douglass had previously lowered the world record once before, achieving a time of 23.59 at a TYR Pro Swim Series event in Indianapolis on June 19. Just nine days later, Walsh managed to break that record with a time of 23.59.

Douglass, a five-time Olympic medalist, had not participated in the 50 free event at the 2024 Paris Games. Walsh swam in the heat immediately following Douglass, with a time of 23.78, securing their positions as the top two contenders for the evening's final on the last day of competition in Irvine. This meet, which featured swimmers from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Japan, and China, among other nations, marked the first occasion of an individual world record being set at the event.