Kate Douglass Scratches 100 Breast Final, Goes 53.16 100 Freestyle in Time Trial

2024 NCAP ELITE QUALIFIER

After swimming a best time in prelims of the 100 breast, Kate Douglass scratched finals of the event. She instead opted to time trial the 100 freestyle swimming a 53.16.

Douglass now holds four out of the six fastest times this season from the American women. She also is the only American to have been under the 53-second mark this season as she swam a 52.98 at the San Antonio Pro Series stop.

Top US Women 100 Freestyle Swims- 2023-2024

  1. Kate Douglass, 52.98 San Antonio Pro Series
  2. Kate Douglass, 53.02 2024 Worlds
  3. Torri Huske, 53.08 San Antonio Pro Series
  4. Simone Manuel, 53.10 Grand Challenge
  5. Kate Douglass, 53.12 Knoxville Pro Series
  6. Kate Douglass, 53.16 NCAP Time Trial

Last summer, Douglass won the event at US Summer Nationals in a 52.57, a time that stands as her personal best. She went on to finished 4th in the event at 2024 Worlds, missing the podium by just 0.10 seconds. She also swam the event at 2024 Worlds, swimming a 53.02 for 4th place. Her time from today was faster than she was in semifinals in Doha as she swam a 53.31 then.

Also time trialing the 100 freestyle was 2023 Worlds relay swimmer Maxine Parker. Parker touched in a 55.39. Parker’s season best stands at a 54.58 from January at the Knoxville Pro Series stop. Her best time is a 53.51 that she swam for 6th at US Summer Nationals. Last year at this meet, Parker swam a 55.65 in prelims of the event before swimming a 56.14 in finals.

Caroline Bentz also time trialed the event, swimming a 56.28, faster than her old best time of a 56.55 that she swam at the Atlanta Classic earlier this month. Bentz finished her undergrad career at Virginia Tech and is headed to Arizona State this fall.

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VASWAMMER
29 days ago

I can recall a time folks questioned her ability to translate her success from SCY to LCM. Her consistency in her core races over the last 12 months has been phenomenal and bodes well for the summer.

swim1234
1 month ago

prelims:
2 fly-
Howley 2:11.66
Harter 2:14.32

50 free-
G Walsh- 24.86
Canny- 25.33
Parker- 25.42

100 back-
Curzan- 1:00.28

swim1234
Reply to  swim1234
1 month ago

2 breast-
Douglass- 2:22.77
A Walsh- 2:26.25
Nelson- 2:27.89

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  swim1234
1 month ago

That’s fast for a preliminary swim from Kate Douglass.

Swimdad
1 month ago

With Simone Manuel back and the way US women are swimming, the women 400 free relay will be closer much closer than anticipated.

Australia still has a slight edge but the gap has narrowed significantly.

JimSwim22
Reply to  Swimdad
1 month ago

Yeah, we might be within 2 seconds.

Rafael
Reply to  Swimdad
1 month ago

Probably each australian will be at least 0,5 faster than their us conterpart
Aus will probably have 2 52 flat and 2 52 low, usa probably only Douglas under 52,5
At least 2 sec advantage for aus

Swimfan
Reply to  Rafael
1 month ago

Don’t Douglass split 51.9 on the relay last year? And Simone split 51.8 In 2019 and she’s close the that form

Rafael
Reply to  Swimfan
1 month ago

She split 52,28 on 4×100 free, fastest split for her during worlds

If you consider relay
Australia will probably go
Moc 51,9
Jack 51,6
Mckeon 51,9
C1 or Wilson for 52 flat

Troyy
Reply to  Rafael
29 days ago

Wilson is pregnant. The fourth swimmer will probably be Harris who’s already been 52.5 flat start this year.

Troyy
Reply to  Rafael
29 days ago

Also Douglass split 51.7 in the mixed medley. The 52.28 was shortly after the 200 IM semi.

Swimz
Reply to  Swimfan
29 days ago

Douglas has the fastest split by an American, last year 51.79…Huske, Witzel, Manuel and Douglas free relay would be a new AR. 52.7, 52.4, 52.2, 52.0

Swimdad
Reply to  Rafael
1 month ago

Are you considering taper times and relay starts? Husk, SM, GW are going low 52 fully tapered. Simone can match her 52.2 relay from 4yrs ago. Possible three 52 mid to low and a 51 from KD.

GW 52.7
SM 52.3
TH 52.2
KD 51.8

I miss the ISL (Go dawgs)
Reply to  Swimdad
1 month ago

Let’s not jump the gun and say G. Walsh will go 52 low fully tapered. She has never once done that. We can say it about KD and Simone because they have.

Swimdad
Reply to  I miss the ISL (Go dawgs)
29 days ago

Walsh is a taper swimmer, as she showed at the NCAA’s. The fastest SCY female swimmer in history is capable of translating her SCY success to LCM.

Yikes
Reply to  Swimdad
29 days ago

Wow now that’s a pipe dream

Caleb
Reply to  Rafael
29 days ago

Way closer… us will have 4 flat start 52s, probaly 1 or 2 will get into low 52s, not counting relay starts. aussies are great but its not a blowout.

Max Hardie
Reply to  Swimdad
1 month ago

IMO Australia is at least 1 sec faster

Dan tm
Reply to  Swimdad
29 days ago

Since 2021,US combined times
Gretchen 53.14
Simone 53.10
Tori 52.92
Douglass 52.57
3.31.73

Australia
Emma 51.96
Shayna 52.28
Harris 52.59
MOC 52.08
3.28.91

Sweet Sweet Peter Rosen
1 month ago

Todd is hands down the best coach of female swimmers in America

VA Steve
1 month ago

Too bad on the schedule for Paris. Kate should be doing the 50m where she would have a better shot for 1-2 than the 100m where the shot is likely a bronze.

Rafael
Reply to  VA Steve
1 month ago

Bronze will be around 52 flatish… she would need at least a 0,6 drop from her PB

With haughey, both australian and steenbergen even a 52,1 might not medal

Last edited 1 month ago by Rafael
Rafael
Reply to  VA Steve
1 month ago

And no Offense, but difficult to see anyone beating sjostrom as she is dropping near WR times all the time

kevin
Reply to  Rafael
1 month ago

MOC

Rafael
Reply to  kevin
1 month ago

MOC is not a pure 50 sprinter

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Reply to  VA Steve
1 month ago

The semifinals of the W 50 FR immediately precede the final of the W 200 IM during the evening session on Day 8:

Day 8
Evening Session
M 100 FL (final)
W 50 FR (semis)
W 200 IM (final)
W 800 FR (final)
Mixed 4 x 100 meter medley relay (final)

https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/schedule/swimming

Last edited 1 month ago by Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
Outside Smoke
Reply to  Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
1 month ago

Do you have spreadsheets to copy paste these, or do you just enjoy typing out long lists of numbers?

Weinstein-Smith-Ledecky-Sims
1 month ago

I still would have liked to have seen Kate Douglass swim the final of the 100 BR instead.

swimfast
1 month ago

Hot take: I think Douglass would be great at the 200 free

Summer in Paris
Reply to  swimfast
1 month ago

It’s so hot it melts the sun

swimfast
Reply to  Summer in Paris
1 month ago

I mean she’s very good at the 100 free, she has a killer last 50 of the 200 IM (she always catches up to Hosszu’s record on the last 50, and Hosszu went 1:55.4 in the 200 free), I feel like those are valid metrics

Last edited 1 month ago by swimfast
RealSlimThomas
Reply to  swimfast
1 month ago

If she wasn’t doing it SCY, then I don’t think she’ll do it LCM. Because she definitely could’ve thrown down something nasty SCY.

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
Reply to  swimfast
1 month ago

So maybe she can go 1:55. That’s a good time, not great.

Andrew
Reply to  swimfast
1 month ago

Same energy as Marchand would be good at 200 free LCM and then he split 1:45 high lol

Notanyswimmer
Reply to  Andrew
29 days ago

?? He split 1:44.89 anchoring the French relay in 2023.

mahmoud
1 month ago

The depth of US women freestyle is looking better than previous years but there is no way they are beating the Aussies in Paris.

RMS
Reply to  mahmoud
1 month ago

We might have 3 girls in 52 range, which is great progress.

Swimfan
Reply to  RMS
1 month ago

I think the us women will put 4 maybe 5 under 53 in the 100

Rafael
Reply to  Swimfan
1 month ago

I can see that, but probably 2nd best american behind 4th or 5th australian.. but usa would be safe for silver (if only douglas hit 52 would be a battle with china)

Rafael
Reply to  Rafael
1 month ago

But probably both usa and china will go sub 3:30 (aus with a 3:25 26 WR)

Freddie
Reply to  Swimfan
1 month ago

Flat start? At the same meet ?
Zero chance. And I’m a USA homer.

Verram
Reply to  mahmoud
1 month ago

As long as the Aussies can keep progressing and improving as a group and not let the Americans and the rest of the world catch up including the controversial Chinese team

Swimfan
Reply to  mahmoud
1 month ago

It’s gonna be a lot closer than last year , but let’s wait and see what happens at trials and whole all makes it

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022 and 2023 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. Currently, Anya is pursuing her B.A. in Economics and a minor in Government & Law at …

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