Three months after winning her first Olympic gold medal, American superstar Kate Douglass has added another marquee accomplishment to her resume, setting the first individual world record of her career.
Competing at the second of three legs of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup circuit in Incheon, South Korea, Douglass clocked a time of 2:14.16 in the women’s 200 breaststroke (SCM), lowering the 15-year-old world record of 2:14.57 set by fellow American Rebecca Soni back in 2009.
Douglass’ previous best time stood at 2:15.77, set at the 2022 SC World Championships where she won the title.
At the opening leg of the World Cup in Shanghai, she finished just shy of that time in 2:15.96.
Race Video (United States)
Race Video (International)
Soni’s previous record was set in December 2009, less than a month before the polyurethane “super suits” were banned on January 1, 2010. With Douglass erasing that mark, only one women’s SCM world record, Therese Alshammar‘s 24.38 in the 50 fly, remains from the super-suit era.
Douglass was under world record pace the entire way, out-splitting Soni on each of the first three 50s before giving some time back coming home.
WR Split Comparison
| Douglass — 2024 Incheon World Cup |
Soni — 2009 Duel In The Pool |
| 30.68 | 31.05 |
| 1:04.75 (34.07) | 1:05.18 (34.13) |
| 1:39.20 (34.45) | 1:40.00 (34.82) |
| 2:14.16 (34.96) | 2:14.57 (34.57) |
In Incheon, Douglass won by more than five seconds, with Australia’s Tara Kinder finishing as the runner-up in 2:19.21.
Less than half an hour later, Douglass was back in the water in the women’s 100 IM, winning in 56.97 to establish a personal best and improve her time as the #3 performer in history.
The 22-year-old won all four events she raced in Shanghai (200 breast, 50 fly, 100/200 IM), and will be aiming to do so the same over the next two days in Incheon.
Prior to the World Cup, Douglass won gold in the 200 breast at the Paris Olympic Games, and added a second gold on the women’s 4×100 medley relay, and a pair of silvers in the 200 IM and 4×100 free relay.
In addition to being the new world record holder in the 200 breast in short course meters, Douglass is also the fastest swimmer in history in short course yards (2:01.29), and ranks #4 all-time in long course meters (2:19.24).
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