Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh Leading Speed Revolution in Women’s Freestyle
At the start of 2026, no one would have considered the 50 freestyle as the best event for either Kate Douglass or Gretchen Walsh. Douglass had gone on a two-year run to establish herself as the world’s dominant force in the 200 breaststroke while Walsh was dominating at every opportunity in sprint butterfly, having lowered the 100-meter world record on numerous occasions in 2025.
Both University of Virginia-trained swimmers had built up strong international medal records, just not in the 50 free. Douglass won silver in the event at the lightly-attended Doha World Championships in February 2024, and Walsh won the short course world title in December of that year. That was it for their international success; Douglass had never even raced the 50 free at a fully-attended global competition while Walsh was fourth in the race at the 2024 Olympics, missing the bronze medal by one hundredth.
Now, though, these two swimmers have a stranglehold on the event in every format. They made their biggest impression between June and August, combining for four world records in the long course version of the event. Douglass shocked the world with a time of 23.59 at the Indianapolis Pro Series to clip Sarah Sjostrom’s world record, only for Walsh to respond a week later at the Sette Colli meet in Rome with a 23.55.
Kate Douglass — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Then, Douglass took the record back at the Pan Pacific Championships with a time of 23.49 in prelims. One heat later, Walsh finished in 23.78, well under what had been the American record just two months earlier, setting up a head-to-head matchup in the final. Douglass won that as well, posting a staggering time of 23.19 to obliterate the record again while Walsh came in second at 23.74, more than a half-second back but still quicker than any other swimmer in the world this year.
In short course, however, Walsh maintains superiority in yards and meters. Douglass became the first woman under 21 in the yards version in 2022, but Walsh would lower that record on numerous occasions over the course of her legendary career at UVA. She topped out at 20.37, a mark she swam in both 2024 and 2025. Walsh continues to own the seven fastest performances in history plus nine of the top-10 and 15 of the top-20. Her best time is 0.29 ahead of history’s No. 2 performer.
More recently, the two have imposed their will on short course meters, a format in which few Americans race extensively outside of international competition. At the 2024 Short Course Worlds, Walsh lowered the world record twice, clocking 22.87 in the semifinal round to break a world record held by Ranomi Kromowidjojo for seven years. A day later, she improved her time to 22.83 while Douglass won silver in 23.10, making her the fifth-quickest woman ever at the time.
They showed even more over the weekend at Virginia’s Short Course Meters Pro Am. During the morning session, Douglass lowered her best time to 22.94 in a time trial, moving up to No. 3 all-time and falling just 0.11 off Walsh’s world record. Of course, that record would only last a few more hours before Walsh went 22.75 that evening, dropping her two-year-old record by eight hundredths.
That Pro Am served as a tune-up for the upcoming U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials, scheduled for Oct. 28-31 in Westmont, Ill., and both Walsh and Douglass should qualify to swim the event at Short Course Worlds in early December in Beijing. That means the world record could fall again, perhaps multiple times. Do not expect anyone close to these two swimmers in Westmont or Beijing; during the recently-completed World Cup circuit, Poland’s Kasia Wasick won the 50 free at all three stops but never went quicker than 23.30.
Gretchen WalshPhoto Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Both of these versatile swimmers figure to take on large slates of events for both the selection meet and global showcase later this fall, Walsh with her usual butterfly races and Douglass in breaststroke. In addition to the 50 free, both could represent the U.S. in the 100 free and 100 IM. Two years ago, Walsh won short course world titles in both races while Douglass took silver in the 100 IM and bronze in the 100 free.
Since then, though, Douglass has lowered the world record in the 100 free, becoming the first woman ever under 50 seconds during last year’s World Cup circuit, and she now owns the three quickest times ever in that event. Not far back: Walsh, of course, with a best time of 50.31 ranking her third all-time. As for the shortest medley race, Walsh’s world record of 55.11 remains more than a second ahead of anyone else in history while Douglass sits third, with Dutch standout Marrit Steenbergen splitting the pair.
Could they finish 1-2 in three different events at Short Course Worlds? Perhaps, although Steenbergen will certainly have a say in the results; in addition to her No. 2 standing in the 100 IM, she has a best time one hundredth behind Walsh in the 100 free and holds the world record in that event in long course. But in the 50 free, no one should come close to this dynamic duo of Cavaliers.
