Ultra Swimmer of the Month: Kate Douglass

Ultra Swim Swimmer of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam function shedding mild on a U.S.-based swimmer who has confirmed themselves over the previous month. As with any merchandise of recognition, Swimmer of the Month is a subjective train meant to spotlight one athlete whose work holds noteworthy context – maybe a swimmer who was visibly outperforming different swimmers over the month, or one whose accomplishments slipped by way of the cracks amongst different high-profile swims. If your favourite athlete wasn’t chosen, be at liberty to respectfully acknowledge them in our remark part.

No one shone extra for the U.S. crew on the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships than Kate Douglass, who, although she solely received one particular person gold medal, delivered a number of the finest efficiency of all-time over the course of the meet.

Prior to Pan Pacs, nonetheless, Douglass kicked off the month of August in fashion on the U.S. National Championships, clocking 51.93 within the 100 free throughout a time trial on August 1 to rank #4 all-time and put her simply 5 one-hundredths shy of coaching companion Anna Moesch‘s newly minted American Record of 51.88.

Two weeks later, Douglass took on a large program at Pan Pacs, racing 4 particular person occasions and three relays.

She had a robust begin to the meet, successful silver within the girls’s 50 fly (25.06) behind teammate Gretchen Walsh after changing into simply the third girl in historical past underneath the 25-second barrier within the prelims (24.99).

At the tip of Day 1, Douglass threw down one of many quickest 100 freestyle splits in historical past, 51.01, as she anchored the Americans to gold and a brand new world report within the blended 4×100 medley relay in a time of three:36.70.

After lacking the rostrum with a 4th-place end within the 100 breast on Day 2, Douglass bounced again on Day 3, main off the U.S. girls’s 4×100 free relay in a time of 51.69 to overlook the world report within the girls’s 100 free by only one one-hundredth of a second (51.68, set by Marrit Steenbergen in June). Douglass did take down the American Record of 51.88, set by Moesch at Nationals, and now ranks #2 all-time within the occasion.

That set Douglass up for a historic remaining day, as she tackled a frightening program with prelim heats within the 50 free, 200 breast, after which finals in each occasions plus the timed remaining of the ladies’s medley relay within the night.

She obtained the time without work to a blazing-fast begin, placing up a brand new world report within the prelims of the 50 free in a time of 23.49, breaking Gretchen Walsh‘s mark of 23.55 from June.

Then, through the night session, Douglass produced one of many biggest swims of all-time within the 50 free remaining, clocking 23.19 to knock a large three-tenths off her newly minted report en path to successful the gold medal.

The efficiency put her 36 one-hundredths forward of he next-fastest performer in historical past, Walsh, which is equal to 1.53%—making  it one of the dominant world information ever.

About 20 minutes later, Douglass was again within the water of the ladies’s 200 breast, claiming silver in a time of two:22.57.

Racing for the third time in 90 minutes, Douglass closed out a busy program by anchoring the U.S. girls to gold within the 4×100 medley relay, splitting 52.23 as they received by over 4 and a half seconds and set a brand new Championship Record (3:50.43).

On Tuesday, Douglass was named to the 2026-27 U.S. National Team in six totally different occasions, placing her unimaginable degree of versatility on show.

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