It was quite the Saturday for Kate Douglass at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships.
The American swimmer first broke the world record in the 50m free with what USA Swimming called a “blistering” time of 23.49 seconds. However, that record didn’t even last the entire day, as she bettered her own record in the final with a winning time of 23.19 seconds.
Beth Harris of the Associated Press noted Douglass has now lowered the record time in the event three times this year alone.
She first did so in June during the TYR Pro Swim Series meet in Indianapolis with a time of 23.59 seconds.
However, teammate Gretchen Walsh set the new record of 23.55 seconds later that month until Douglass reclaimed it Saturday.
Walsh finished second in the event Saturday with a final time of 23.74.
Douglass is already a five-time Olympic medalist from the 2020 Tokyo Games and 2024 Paris Games, and she is only getting better as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approach.
If that continues, it would be anything but a surprise if she is one of the stars of the Games while competing in her home country.
