2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, December 13 to Sunday, December 18, 2022
- Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, Melbourne, Australia
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Kate Douglass won Friday’s 200 breaststroke final in a time of 2:15.77, taking down a decade-old Championship record at the 2022 Short Course Championships.
The 21-year-old University of Virginia senior lowered the previous meet record of 2:16.08 set by Denmark’s Rikke Pedersen in 2012.
WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS
- World Record: 2:14.57 – Rebecca Soni (USA), 2009
- World Junior Record: 2:16.88 – Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS), 2021
Championship Record: 2:16.08 – Rikke Pedersen (DEN), 2012- 2021 Champion: 2:17.85 – Emily Escobedo (USA)
RESULTS:
- GOLD: Kate Douglass (United States) – 2:15.77 (Championship Record)
- SILVER: Lilly King (United States) – 2:17.13
- BRONZE: Tes Schouten (Netherlands) – 2:18.19
- Jenna Strauch (Australia) – 2:18.87
- Tang Qianting (China) – 2:19.28
- Sydney Pickrem (Canada) – 2:19.35
- Thea Blomsterberg (Denmark) – 2:20.14
- Abbie Wood (Great Britain) – 2:21.48
Douglass improved upon her previous-best 2:16.52 from prelims, becoming one of just seven women in history to clock a sub-2:16 time in the event.
It’s the fastest time in the world in more than two years, bumping her up from No. 9 to No. 7 in the all-time rankings.
Rebecca Soni‘s super-suited world record of 2:14.57 might have just been put on notice.
Top Performers All-Time, Women’s 200 Breast
- Rebecca Soni – 2:14.57 (2009)
- Rikke Pedersen – 2:15.21 (2013)
- Leisel Jones – 2:15.42 (2009)
- Lilly King – 2:15.56 (2020)
- Yuliya Efimova – 2:15.62 (2018)
- Rie Kaneto – 2:15.76 (2016)
- Kate Douglass – 2:15.77 (2022)
- Annie Lazor – 2:16.33 (2020)
- Emily Escobedo – 2:16.51 (2020)
- Annamay Pierse – 2:16.83 (2009)
It’s the second individual gold medal for Douglass at a major international meet after winning the 200 IM on the first night in Melbourne. Her time of 2:02.12 in that event represented a new American record. It’s also her sixth overall gold medal at Short Course Worlds across her career, counting relays.
Following her victory, Douglass spoke about the pressure of facing off against Olympic medalist Lilly King as well as her potential to go even faster in the event with more experience racing short-course meters.
“This morning’s swim was really smooth altogether, I didn’t have to push myself too hard. So I knew I had the ability to go a lot faster tonight,” Douglass told SwimSwam. “That first 50 or 100 of that final swim, I was definitely a little stressed out seeing Lilly next to me. But I also just had to prepare myself that she takes it out fast and she’s going to be a good competitor in that race. So definitely being able to push myself next to Lilly that first 100 helped me come back and finish fast, but it definitely hurt a lot more than this morning.
“It’s making me more excited to continue racing it on the international level, but I think this race was a little different for me because in short-course yards, I’m really focused on my stroke count in the race,” Douglass added. “Obviously with meters, it’s a different stroke count. So I think the more I swim short-course meters, I could definitely have the ability to drop a lot of time.”
Douglass trailed King by .12 seconds at the midway point of the race before taking the lead on the next length and never relinquishing it. Across the final 50 meters, Douglass (35.12) out-split King (36.13) by more than a second to seal the win.
“It hurt, but I was kind of prepared for that,” King said. “I was gonna have to take it out if I was going to have a shot, and I did, and I died a little bit, and that’s ok. It happens sometimes, and Kate (Douglass) had a great swim, and I’m so glad to get that one-two finish for the U.S.
“It’s always fun to be there with your teammate, and that’s what we’ve come to do, so I’m glad we’re putting together some really good swims and getting those medals,” King added.
Bronze medalist Tes Schouten broke another Dutch record with a time of 2:18.19, lowering her own mark of 2:18.70 from prelims. That swim shaved nearly a second off her own national record from October. On Wednesday night, Schouten secured a silver medal behind King in the 100 breast with a Dutch record of 1:03.90.
“I’m really, really happy,” Schouten said. “I didn’t expect these medals when I came here, so it’s like a really big surprise. I’m really happy with it.”
