Kate Douglass is the first ever woman swimmer to break the 52 seconds mark in individual medley
The Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist, Kate Douglass, has become the first woman swimmer ever to have achieved the under 52 seconds mark in a 100 m-yard individual medley.
At an intra-squad meet held on Sunday (September 30) by the University of Virginia at Aquatic and Fitness Centre, Charlottesville, Douglass achieved the remarkable feat of clocking the 100 m-yard individual medley in 51.97 seconds.
She left behind Alex Walsh, who completed the race in 53.23. The previous fastest time recorded in the women's 100 m-yard individual medley was by Walsh. She recorded a time of 52.09 seconds at the UVA-Texas dual meet in 2022. Jasmine Nocentini was the third swimmer to touch with a time of 54.66 seconds.
Of the top 10 fastest times in the women's 100m individual medley, four are set by Douglass and three by Walsh. She recorded a time of 52.48 in 2020 as a freshman. In 2022, she set the fastest time in the 100m individual medley twice with the timings 52.73 seconds and 53.01 seconds.
Even though the 100m individual medley is not held at prominent college events, including the Atlantic Coast Conference and the NCAA, it is an official NCAA event.
Douglass is a pro swimmer, who does not compete in the NCAA, hence her spectacular time of 51.97 seconds will not be counted as the NCAA record.
"It's just kind of crazy that this will be my last college meet ever" - Kate Douglass ahead of her last NCAA Championship
Kate Douglass competed in her last college meet at the 2023 NCAA championship held by the University of Tennessee at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. She earned seven titles there, including three individual and four in relays.
In an interview with the Social Kick podcast, along with Alex Walsh, Douglass revealed that the 2023 NCAA championship would be her last college meet and that she does not intend to use her fifth-year policy given to the student-athletes who competed during the 2020-21 NCAA season.
"It's just kind of crazy that this will be my last college meet ever," Kate Douglass said.
"As of now, I plan to stay and train at Virginia and get my masters in statistics. I am looking forward to focusing on long course, and having more flexibility in my schedule to travel and attend meets," she added.
At the 2023 NCAA championship, she won the 200-yard breaststroke, 200-yard medley, 4×50 yard freestyle, 4×100 yard freestyle, 4×50 yard medley, and 4×100 yard medley.