Credit to Barry Revzin for running the numbers and noticing the feat.
Those who follow NCAA swimming have long been familiar with Kate Douglass’ versatility. In the past 18 months, we’ve seen her effectively transition that versatility to the long-course pool, qualifying for the Olympics in the 200 breaststroke, 200 IM, and 100 freestyle.
That versatility forced her to make difficult decisions this summer—she had to choose between the 200 breaststroke and 50 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials (she holds the American record in both) and dropped the individual 100 freestyle before the Games.
But the World Cup format has allowed her to fully flex her versatility. And with the gains she’s made since she last raced short-course meters at the 2022 SC World Championships, combined with the skill she has in the small pool (yards or meters) that’s come with many records.
One day after blowing away the 200 breaststroke world record she set last week and hitting her third lifetime best in the 100 IM (now ranked #2 all-time), Douglass nearly broke another super-suited world record. She swam 24.42 in the women’s 50 butterfly, missing Therese Alshammar’s 2009 world record by four-hundredths. Her 200 breaststroke record in Incheon, took down Rebecca Soni‘s super-suited mark, leaving just 10 still standing.
Her performances at the World Cup in the 200 breaststroke and 50 butterfly put her into rarified air when it comes to that level of versatility. She’s not only joined an elite club of women who are in the all-time top 200 for both events but she’s shot to the top, ranking #1 in the 200 breast and #2 in the 50 fly.
All-Time Rankings: Swimmers Top 200 in 200 Breast/50 Fly
| Swimmer | 200 Breaststroke All-Time Rank | 50 Butterfly All-Time Rank |
| Kate Douglass | 1 | 2 |
| Katinka Hosszu | 99 | 93 |
| Siobhan O’Connor | 126 | 66 |
| Alia Atkinson | 21 | 140 |
| Jenna Laukkanen | 103 | 148 |
| Charlotte Bonnet | 100 | 167 |
| Runa Imai | 54 | 186 |
Based on our data, only Douglass and Katinka Hosszu rank in the top 100 of both events. Hosszu only just cracks that barrier, though that itself is a feat of its own as arguably, neither of these events is one of Hosszu’s ten best.
The data is courtesy of World Aquatics and though we’ve hand-corrected for the 2:09 they have listed in the 200 breast, there are likely still a couple of other missing data points. However, the point still stands—while others have found success in this event combination, Douglass has taken it to a new level of dominance with this year’s SC World Championships still a month away.
