Those that observe NCAA swimming have lengthy been aware of Kate Douglass’ versatility. Previously 18 months, we’ve seen her successfully transition that versatility to the long-course pool, qualifying for the Olympics within the 200 breaststroke, 200 IM, and 100 freestyle.
That versatility compelled her to make troublesome choices this summer time—she had to decide on between the 200 breaststroke and 50 freestyle on the U.S. Olympic Trials (she holds the American document in each) and dropped the person 100 freestyle earlier than the Video games.
However the World Cup format has allowed her to totally flex her versatility. And with the positive aspects she’s made since she final raced short-course meters on the 2022 SC World Championships, mixed with the ability she has within the small pool (yards or meters) that’s include many data.
Someday after blowing away the 200 breaststroke world document she set final week and hitting her third lifetime greatest within the 100 IM (now ranked #2 all-time), Douglass almost broke one other super-suited world document. She swam 24.42 within the girls’s 50 butterfly, lacking Therese Alshammar’s 2009 world document by four-hundredths. Her 200 breaststroke document in Incheon, took down Rebecca Soni‘s super-suited mark, leaving simply 10 nonetheless standing.
Her performances on the World Cup within the 200 breaststroke and 50 butterfly put her into rarified air relating to that stage of versatility. She’s not solely joined an elite membership of ladies who’re within the all-time prime 200 for each occasions however she’s shot to the highest, rating #1 within the 200 breast and #2 within the 50 fly.
All-Time Rankings: Swimmers High 200 in 200 Breast/50 Fly
| Swimmer | 200 Breaststroke All-Time Rank | 50 Butterfly All-Time Rank |
| Kate Douglass | 1 | 2 |
| Katinka Hosszu | 99 | 93 |
| Siobhan O’Connor | 126 | 66 |
| Alia Atkinson | 21 | 140 |
| Jenna Laukkanen | 103 | 148 |
| Charlotte Bonnet | 100 | 167 |
| Runa Imai | 54 | 186 |
Based mostly on our knowledge, solely Douglass and Katinka Hosszu rank within the prime 100 of each occasions. Hosszu solely simply cracks that barrier, although that itself is a feat of its personal as arguably, neither of those occasions is one in every of Hosszu’s ten greatest.
The info is courtesy of World Aquatics and although we’ve hand-corrected for the two:09 they’ve listed within the 200 breast, there are possible nonetheless a few different lacking knowledge factors. Nevertheless, the purpose nonetheless stands—whereas others have discovered success on this occasion mixture, Douglass has taken it to a brand new stage of dominance with this 12 months’s SC World Championships nonetheless a month away.
