On Saturday, August 15, 2026, swimmer Kate Douglass established a new world record in the women’s 50-meter freestyle during the preliminary heats of the Pan Pacific Championships. Competing at an outdoor pool in Irvine, California, the 24-year-old athlete from Pelham, New York, completed her heat in an impressive 23.49 seconds.
Douglass broke the previous world record of 23.55 seconds, set by her teammate Gretchen Walsh in Rome earlier this June. This marks the second instance Douglass has broken the world record in this sprint race. Her first record-breaking performance occurred on June 19 at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, where she clocked in at 23.59 seconds. Nine days later, Walsh lowered it again before Douglass’s recent achievement.
As a seasoned competitor, Douglass holds five Olympic medals. Although she secured silver in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2024 World Championships, she did not participate in this event at the 2024 Paris Games.
Walsh competed in the heat following Douglass and achieved a time of 23.78 seconds, making them the top two qualifiers for the evening final. This record is the first individual world record achieved at the Pan Pacific Championships, where athletes from the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, China, and other countries competed.