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Kate Douglass Breaks Women's 50m Freestyle World Record

Her 23.59 swim makes her the first American to hold that mark in about 40 years, potentially prompting changes to her summer race plan.

Swimming - World Aquatics Championships - Women 200m Breaststroke - World Aquatics Championships Arena, Singapore - August 1, 2025 Gold medallist Kate Douglass of the U.S. reacts on the podium REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
American Kate Douglass set the women's 50m freestyle world record with a time of 23.59sec at the Indianapolis Pro Swim

Overview

  • At the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis Douglass touched the wall in 23.59 to set a new world record in the women's 50m freestyle.
  • Her time shaved 0.02 seconds off Sarah Sjöström's previous world record of 23.61 and improved on Douglass's prior best of 23.91.
  • Teammate Gretchen Walsh finished second in 23.78, a time that also beat the former American record and signaled strong U.S. depth in the sprint.
  • Douglass, more widely known as the 2024 Olympic 200m breaststroke champion, said the swim was unexpected and could lead her to race more 50-meter sprints this summer.
  • The result returns the 50m world mark to an American for the first time since the 1980s and could affect U.S. selections and the international sprint pecking order as the season unfolds.