2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 10-15, 2024
- Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
- SCM (25m)
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- Prelims Live Recap: Day 1
- Finals Live Recap: Day 1
Kate Douglass made it four straight world records to open the first finals session of the Short Course World Championships on Tuesday, taking down a mark that had been on the books for just over a decade.
Douglass pulled away from Abbie Wood with a blistering freestyle leg to finish in a time of 2:01.63, breaking Katinka Hosszu‘s world record of 2:01.86 set in 2014.
Hosszu’s record, set at the 2014 SC World Championships in Doha, had been on the books for almost exactly 10 years—10 years and four days, set on Dec. 6, 2014.
Douglass had neared Hosszu’s world record at the 2022 SC Worlds in Melbourne, clocking 2:02.12 which was the second-fastest swim of all-time and the American Record until Douglass’ swim on Tuesday.
In addition to breaking the world record, Douglass also took down Hosszu’s Championship Record (2:01.86), plus her own Americas and American Record from Melbourne.
Douglass’ splits through 150 meters were very similar to what she produced at the 2022 SC Worlds—she turned just eight one-hundredths under her American Record pace with 50 to go, but came home four-tenths quicker in 28.72.
Compared to Hosszu, Douglass was faster on every 50 except for backstroke, where she lost more than a second and a half.
Split Comparison
| Hosszu, 2014 SC Worlds | Douglass, 2022 SC Worlds | Douglass, 2024 SC Worlds |
| 26.47 | 26.34 | 26.04 |
| 56.40 (29.93) | 57.63 (31.29) | 57.61 (31.57) |
| 1:32.49 (36.09) | 1:32.99 (35.36) | 1:32.91 (35.30) |
| 2:01.86 (29.37) | 2:02.12 (29.13) | 2:01.63 (28.72) |
The race ended up producing three of the fastest swims of all-time, as Douglass’ American teammate Alex Walsh set a personal best of 2:02.65 to snag silver, ranking her #3 in history, while Great Britain’s Wood claimed bronze in 2:02.75, making her the fourth swimmer in history sub-2:03.
Wood’s swim obliterated her British Record of 2:04.77 set in 2020, while Walsh lowered her previous best of 2:03.37 set at the 2022 SC Worlds where she also won silver.
All-Time Performers, Women’s 200 IM (SCM)
- Kate Douglass (USA), 2:01.63 – 2024
- Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2:01.86 – 2014
- Alex Walsh (USA), 2:02.65 – 2024
- Abbie Wood (GBR), 2:02.75 – 2024
- Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2:03.57 – 2022
RACE VIDEO (USA)
KATE. DOUGLASS. 😤
A strong finish powers her to a new short course world record in the women’s 200m IM.
📺 Peacock | #AQUABudapest2024 pic.twitter.com/MCHo0WpAKS
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) December 10, 2024
The performance gives Douglass two SCM world records, having broken the mark in the women’s 200 breast (2:12.72) earlier this year.
She is also the fastest swimmer in history in the 200 IM in short course yards, setting the American, U.S. Open and NCAA Record of 1:48.37 at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
Douglass was electric on the World Cup circuit in late October and early November, but only raced the 200 IM at one of the three stops, winning it in Shanghai in a time of 2:04.09.
I wonder if she’ll continue through LA 2028. I really hope so! She’ll be 26 I think?
The University of Virginia was well represented. Go Cavaliers!
Incredible this women
Congrats to all 3 of the medalists! Abbie’s 2 second drop is pretty amazing, and great to see Alex come back from the meniscus surgery with a pb.
Alex’s swim was the real story for me. That record was numbered and Alex’s knee looks good!
Congrats KD. Awesome!
imagine Kate with a back split like Alex?
If Kate had a faster back split then her breast and free splits would’ve been slower leaving her with roughly the same time.
How does that math work?
Not necessarily the fastest but if she can improves and goes to mid 30 in her back split then surely she can get close to sub 2 minutes.
That’s that great Breastsroke she has with a very good fly and freestyle.