For so long as Kate Douglass has been swimming, she’s been identified for her versatility and her unconventional occasion lineups — particularly, her capability to excel in each dash freestyle and breaststroke. However after profitable the 100 freestyle, 200 breaststroke, and 200 particular person medley on the 2024 U.S. Olympic trials, she really entered rarified territory.
Douglass is now the second American (and first American lady) in historical past to qualify for a single Olympics in each a breaststroke and one other non-individual medley occasion, with the primary being Michael Andrew — who made the 2021 U.S. Olympic workforce within the 50 free, 100 breast, and 200 IM. As well as, she can be the ninth American to qualify for a single Olympics in each a breaststroke and a non-breaststroke occasion.
Be aware: Jessica Hardy received the 100 breast and positioned second within the 50 free on the 2008 U.S. Olympic trials, however was faraway from the U.S. Olympic workforce that yr as a result of she examined optimistic for the banned substance clenbuterol.
However right here’s the place issues get much more unprecedented. Douglass isn’t solely the second American to make an Olympics individually in a breaststroke and one other non-IM occasion, however she’s first American swimmer to win each sorts of occasions at an Olympic trials meet — Andrew completed second within the 50 free in 2021. As well as, Douglass is the third swimmer in U.S. Olympic trials historical past to win a breaststroke and a non-breaststroke occasion at one meet, after Andrew in 2021 and Tracy Caulkins in 1984 and 1980.
Checklist Of U.S. Olympic Particular person Qualifiers In Each Breaststroke And Non-Breaststroke Occasions:
| Swimmer | Olympic Trials Outcomes |
| Kate Douglass | 1st in 100 free/200 IM/200 breast (2024) |
| Michael Andrew | 1st in 200 IM/100 breast, 2nd in 50 free (2021) |
| Amanda Beard | 1st in 100/200 breast, 2nd in 200 IM (2004) |
| Tom Wilkens | 2nd in 200 breast/200 IM (2000) |
| Kristine Quance | 2nd in 100 breast/200 IM (1996) |
| Steve Lundquist | 1st in 200 IM, 2nd in 100 breast (1984) |
| Tracy Caulkins | 1st in 100 breast/200 IM/400 IM (1984), 1st in 100 breast/200 breast/200 IM/400 IM (1980)* |
| Invoice Barrett | 1st in 200 IM, 2nd in 100 breast (1980)* |
| Lynn Vidali | 1st in 200 IM, 2nd in 100 breast, third in 400 IM (1972)** |
*The USA ended up not sending an Olympic workforce to the 1980 Video games in boycott of host nation Soviet Union
**The 2 per-nation restrict in particular person occasions was not instituted till 1984
For informal sports activities followers, the singling out of the breaststroke self-discipline would possibly seem to be an try and cherry-pick statistics. However traditionally in swimming, breaststrokers are likely to concentrate on one stroke extra usually than different swimmers as a result of distinctive nature of breaststroke, making it extra extraordinary when a swimmer is able to being elite in each breaststroke and one other self-discipline.
To place issues in perspective, since 2012, there have been 12 completely different U.S. Olympic particular person qualifiers throughout a number of non-breaststroke disciplines for a single Video games (freestyle, backstroke, particular person medley, butterfly) — Michael Phelps, Caeleb Dressel, Regan Smith, Maya DiRado, Ryan Lochte, Missy Franklin, Tyler Clary, Torri Huske, Hali Flickinger, Katie Grimes, Gretchen Walsh and Elizabeth Beisel. That’s greater than the quantity of People who’ve made the Olympics individually in each breaststroke and one other self-discipline in swimming’s complete 128-year historical past on the Olympic Video games. Singling out non-IM occasions can be important, as a result of breaststroke is part of the person medley race.
Now what about non-People? There’s been a number of from different nations who’ve raced each breaststroke and different non-IM occasions on the Olympics, however the U.S. Olympic workforce is arguably essentially the most troublesome workforce to qualify for — making Douglass’s feat much more extraordinary.
- For a non-exhaustive checklist of all swimmers who’ve raced each breaststroke and different non-IM occasions on the Olympics, click on right here.
The unprecedented nature of Douglass’s Olympic lineup can attain a complete new stratosphere in Paris. Proper now, she’s ranked fifth on this planet within the 100 free, second within the 200 breast, and second within the 200 IM, that means that she has a shot at medalling in all three occasions and maybe even profitable gold within the latter two. Solely 4 swimmers in Olympic historical past have medalled in each a breaststroke and non-breaststroke occasion, and none of them have received gold in each sorts of occasions. As well as, just one swimmer has medalled in each a breaststroke and one other non-IM occasion — Hungary’s Eva Novak, who received silver within the 200 breast and 400 free on the 1952 Olympics.
Even when Douglass doesn’t medal in each the 200 breast and 100 free at this Olympics, she will nonetheless be part of Novak in rarified territory by swimming on the 4×100 free relay, the place the USA are the favorites for silver. It’s additionally notable that France’s Leon Marchand additionally has an opportunity to hitch these aforementioned 4 swimmers, as he’s the 2023 World Champion within the 200 IM/400 IM/200 fly and the sixth-fastest performer of all-time within the 200 breast (extra on him later when the time comes).
Checklist Of Olympic Medalists In Each Breaststroke And Non-Breaststroke Occasions:
| Swimmer | Olympic Efficiency |
| Amanda Beard, United States | 200 breast gold, 200 IM silver (2004) |
| Lin Li, China | 200 IM gold, 200 breast/400 IM silver (1992) |
| Claudia Kolb, United States | 200/400 IM gold (1968), 200 breast silver (1964) |
| Eva Novak, Hungary | 200 breast/400 free silver (1952) |
None of this even accounts for the truth that Douglass, alongside holding the American file within the 200 breast, can be the American file holder within the 50 free. Nevertheless, she opted to not swim the occasion at Olympic trials as a result of its semi-finals had been proper earlier than the 200 IM closing. Had she raced it, extra historical past may have been made.
In a sport filled with specialists, Douglass has all the time been a unicorn. And the Olympic historical past that she’s made solely additional proves it.
