Meet Katharine Berkoff, daughter of two-time Olympic Dave Berkoff, and a backstroke finalist at the Paris Olympics 2024

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Jul 30, 2024 10:40 GMT

Katharine Berkoff has qualified for the finals of women's 100m backstroke at the Paris Olympics 2024. Berkoff's swim was timed at 58.27 seconds, and she finished second behind defending champion Kaylee McKeown of Australia to qualify for the 100m backstroke finals. Katharine Berkoff will be accompanied by her teammate Regan Smith, who clocked 57.97 seconds to top her semifinal heats and qualify for the final.

Interestingly, Berkoff almost broke the world record during her swim, as she topped the preliminary heats with a timing of 57.99 seconds. Regan Smith is the current world record holder, with a timing of 57.13 seconds.

Berkoff will be aiming to continue the legacy of her father, two-time Olympic champion David 'Dave' Berkoff, who has four Olympic medals to his credit.

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Katharine Berkoff's family

David Berkoff, whose legacy Katharine Berkoff aims to emulate [Image Source: Getty]

Katharine Berkoff was born on January 28, 2001, in Missoula, Montana. Berkoff's father is David 'Dave' Berkoff, a former backstroke specialist who has four Olympic medals to his credit.

In an interview, Berkoff shared how her father's legacy only pushed her forward to do better. She said,

"The only pressure I ever felt was from myself because I just wanted to do it for myself, and my dad was definitely a huge inspiration. I don't think I would have those Olympic dreams without him. He played a big role in my goal-setting, but it was never a negative thing." [via Swimming World Magazine]

Dave Berkoff won two gold medals in the 4x100m medley relay, at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He also won two individual medals in the men's 100m backstroke at the Seoul and Barcelona Games, a silver and a bronze, respectively.

Katharine Berkoff's education and early career

Katharine Berkoff [C] after winning the 100 yard backstroke finals at the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships 2024 | Getty

Katharine Berkoff studied at Hellgate High School, before going on to North Carolina State University.

She tasted her first success at the Summer Universiade in 2019, when she won the gold medal in the women's 100m backstroke. Berkoff also won a gold medal in the women's 4x100m medley at the same event.

Other achievements of Katharine Berkoff

Katharine Berkoff in action | Getty

Katharine Berkoff had previously attempted to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics 2020. However, she stood fourth in the trials, which meant she couldn't accompany the American contingent to Tokyo.

Putting this disappointment aside, she won six medals at the 2021 Abu Dhabi World Championships [short course], including two gold medals in the women's 4x50m freestyle and women's 4x100m freestyle relay events. She went on to win 5 medals at the 2022 NCAA Championships,

Berkoff impressed everyone with her performance at the 2023 World Championships [long course]. She won three medals, including a gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay and a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke.

She will be aiming to secure a podium finish tonight in the 100m backstroke finals, and also looking to secure her entry for the women's 4x100m medley relay team, to have another shot at Olympic glory, and live up to her father's illustrious legacy.