While the Walsh sisters were leading the Virginia women to a fourth consecutive NCAA title in Athens, two other members of the Cavalier training group got some work done at home.
Former UVA star Kate Douglass and Stanford transfer Claire Curzan produced some blistering swims on Saturday morning (March 22, during Women’s NCAAs) in Charlottesville, with Douglass racing the 200 breast and Curzan the 200 back—both events they won at NCAAs last season—with touchpads in place.
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Douglass unleashed a time of 2:01.97 in the 200 breast, unofficially the fourth-fastest in history trailing three of her own swims. It’s also faster than the time that won the 2024 NCAA title later that same day, which was done by training partner Alex Walsh (2:02.07) in what was the official #4 swim in history.
Including Douglass’ swim in practice, she and Walsh combine to own the seven fastest swims in history, with Lilly King the only non-UVA swimmer cracking the top 10 with her 2:02.60 from the 2018 NCAAs and the 2:02.90 she produced in 2018.
All-Time Performances, Women’s 200 Breast (SCY)
- Kate Douglass, 2:01.29 – 2023 NCAA Championships
- Kate Douglass, 2:01.43 – 2023 Cavalier Invite
- Kate Douglass, 2:01.87 – 2022 Tennessee Invite
- Kate Douglass, 2:01.97 – March 2024 Virginia*
- Alex Walsh, 2:02.07 – 2024 NCAA Championships
- Kate Douglass, 2:02.19 – 2022 NCAA Championships
- Alex Walsh, 2:02.24 – 2024 ACC Championships
- Kate Douglass, 2:02.60 – 2022 NCAA Championships / Lilly King, 2:02.60 – 2018 NCAA Championships
- –
- Lilly King, 2:02.90 – 2019 NCAA Championships
*Unofficial
Curzan, who will be eligible to represent Virginia in NCAA competition next season, fired off a time of 1:48.65 in the 200 back, just over four-tenths shy of what Phoebe Bacon clocked en route to winning the national title in Athens (1:48.23).
Curzan won the 2023 NCAA title in 1:47.64, and her personal best sits at 1:47.43 from the 2023 Pac-12 Championships. Those stand as the #4 and #6 fastest swims ever, while her practice swim was within two-tenths of cracking the top 25 (1:48.47 cut off).
Watching either the ACC meet or the NCAA meet, one of the commentators said that if Alex Walsh got close to 2:01 it would be a good time. Both those meets were good times (officially 4th and 6th fastest ever). As Walsh is doing this, Douglass lays down an insane time in a slower pool with no competition (I’m not sure if she was racing Curzan and I’m not sure how old her suit was).
Also, if you haven’t yet, I would read the paper Douglass and August Lamb published that discusses how she got so fast in this event.
Where can we read?
Swimming in Data by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas. It is a good article.
Have never heard of this Douglass/Lamb paper – could you share a link?!
Swimming in Data by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas. It is a good article.
Here is the paper. Not a lot of data shown, but a nice summary of the goals of the work they are doing. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00283-024-10339-0
Kate and August’s email addresses are an abomination goddamn
UVA has weird emails. DeSorbo’s is similar.
When do the previews commence for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials?
14 events x 2 genders = 28 previews
lol N.C.A.A’s finished 3 days ago and then the Bowman bombshell… let them catch their breath why don’t ya
No rest for the weary.
Not to mention British trials and I think others are coming up it is April and Paris is fast approaching
GenerativeAI has entered the chat
Best bet would be… Two weeks out from trials. So end of May.
They’ll start with one preview every 3 days and then publish the last 6 a few hours before the meet starts 😋
These ladies are smoking fast!
Only first four words needed tbh
Boo!
Gross.
Gross?! How about just immature?
Please just don’t
Kate’s been on a roll this year:
American Records
W 50 FR (LCM) – 2/18/2024
W 200 BR (LCM) – 1/13/2024
makes me wonder if gretchy can go 23.9. Thats absurdly fast. Kate started reeling in Sjoestrom at the last 10m in that race.
gretchy is so wild 😭
Kate goes 2:19 at trials to win. If the Russian girl isnt swimming in Paris, Kate gets the GOLD.
We said the same thing for Doha and look what happened there.
maybe you missed the in season meet where she went out in a 1:07 and came back going 2:19.3? Nothing is a sure thing but if she executes the way she needs to, she will be very hard to beat by anyone on this planet.
I think I read somewhere that she might not do the 50 at Trials. If that is true, it is insane to think that the American record holder might be at the meet and not do the event.
It’s not insane. The 50 doubles up with the 2IM, and her prospects for THE OLYMPICS are much better in the 2IM than the 50 free.
an effect of insane versatility by KD
It looks like the list is missing Alex’s 2:02.24 from ACCs this year
If they are rested, what for? Is there pro swim series that they are doing?
Yeah. Therefore shave and taper
Kate and Claire swam at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. If you have a bone to pick, take it elsewhere.
bone to pick? I am a huge fan of both of them. What are you talking about? I simply asked if they got some kind of rest for an upcoming meet before trials. Chill out.
Why would you assume or imply they are rested?
The Joseph Schooling Practice Times Invitational…
Seriously?
Dude. They used touch pads.
What are they still doing in the bathtube, it’s April already ?
Training to have better turns and speed than other countries’ swimmers
Well, maybe but you do not win on turns alone.
But, last time I checked there were 3 turns and a start in each 200 in LC. Nice to have a crazy good weapon in your repertoire. Plus, look at the date – it was during the Women’s NCAA’s. Just seeing where they are in relation to tapered meet swimmers – in practice! And if you think they’re only TRAINING short course, I’ve got a bridge to sell you in the city my son lives!
Valid points although the need to relate to tapered SCY swimmers does escape me. (I lost a wager on the Doha 200 br, which I solely attributes to this bloody bathtube swimmming 🙂 )
its a good point, but the long pool as you know if a completely different animal. Thats why I think that NCAA’s should have been LCM this year. Olympic games trump NCAA, BY A LOT.
I think DeSorbo knows what he is doing considering Curzan won the 50, 100, and 200 back and got second in the 100 fly, plus Douglass got a pair of silvers in 200 meter breast and 50 free in Doha a couple months ago. That meet was long course.