Kate Douglass Sets 100 Free American Record with ‘Huge Props’ to Steenbergen, Moesch
The world record in the women’s 100 freestyle hadn’t moved since 2017. The American mark hadn’t budged since 2019.
When others started the wheels of history back in progress, Kate Douglass wanted in. And she very nearly got there Friday night.
Douglass led off the American women’s 400 freestyle relay at the Pan Pacific Championships with a time of 51.69 seconds Friday night. That time in Irvine set the American record and brushed within .01 seconds of the world record, both with their ink fresh this year.
Douglass was quick to credit the setters of those records – Marrit Steenbergen’s world record of 51.68 and Anna Moesch’s American mark of 51.88 – with helping her achieve that.
“I have to give huge props to both Marrit and to my teammate Anna Moesch, because I think watching them kill it in this race all season has really opened my eyes to what’s possible in this event for me,” Douglass said at the Woollett Aquatic Center. “I don’t think if Anna hadn’t gone a 51, I don’t think I would’ve set that as a goal for myself. So I think they were really my motivation.”
Douglass led the Americans to a win in 3:29.32. It’s a U.S. Open record by nearly six seconds and an American mark by nine tenths over what the same quartet – Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske and Simone Manuel – did at the Paris Olympics. Douglass was 52.98 on that day in a 3:30.20 for the team, though it was still second to the Aussies.
The U.S. finally vanquished the Aussies – albeit a squad missing Mollie O’Callaghan – thanks in large part to Douglass. And Douglass’ drive stems from results around her.
The world record in the 100 free had been 51.71 in the possession of Sarah Sjostrom since 2017 until Steenbergen came along and went 51.68 at Sette Colli in June, one of four (and possibly counting) sub-52 swims from her this year.
No American woman had gone under 52 until Moesch went 51.94 at the AP Race in London in May. She then went 51.88 at Nationals last month. Moesch was not part of this Pan Pacs team as it was selected last year, despite having displaced Manuel’s time of 52.04 from 2019.
Douglass didn’t seem to be in record-breaking form. She opted for the 100 breast instead of the 100 free on Thursday, the second day of four at the meet, and finished a disappointing fourth. But the circumstances set her eyes on the world record Friday, and the five-time Olympic medalist came as close as humanly possible.
“I think honestly, I went in there and my goal was to break the world record,” Douglass said. “It hurts to be so close to it and not get it, but I’m also really happy with that swim. Obviously that’s a huge best time for me, so I can’t be too upset about it.”
