Kate Douglass swims 4th fastest 200m IM in history, becomes top contender for gold medal at Paris Olympics 2024

American competitive swimmer Kate Douglass put up an exemplary performance on the penultimate day of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials where she established a new U.S. Open record in the women’s 200m individual medley. This performance by Douglass in which she registered a time of 2:06.79s also qualified her for the 2024 Paris Olympics as she is now set to compete in her second Summer Games.

At the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, she broke her previous U.S. Open record set during the 2024 World Aquatics Championships finals in which she came first by touching the wall in a time of 2:07.05 and also defended her world title in the process.

With this performance, she also breached the 2:07 mark barrier, becoming only the sixth woman in the world to achieve this feat. Her brilliant show at the trials ranked her fourth globally, only behind world record holder Katinka Hosszu (2:06.12), Ariana Kukors of the USA (2:06.15), and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown (2:06.63) in terms of timing.

Following this incredible display of swimming, Kate Douglass has become one of the serious contenders for the gold medal in the women’s 200m individual medley event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

However, she is expected to face tough competition from McKeown, who has a faster time in the distance, and Canadian swimming sensation Summer McIntosh, who holds the sixth-quickest time in the world set at 2:06.89. In addition, Douglass is set to compete against Japan’s Yui Ohashi, fellow American Alex Walsh, and Canada’s Sydney Pickrem, among other top athletes.

Kate Douglass’ performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Alex Walsh of Team United States, Yui Ohashi of Team Japan and Kate Douglass of Team United States pose with their medals during the medal ceremony for the Women's 200m Individual Medley Final on day five of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 28, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, Kate Douglass bagged the bronze medal in the women’s 200m individual medley. She came third, behind gold-medalist Yui Ohashi (2:08.52) and compatriot Alex Walsh (2:08.65) who won the silver in a time of 2:09.04.

Although Douglass had posted the best times among all swimmers in the heats and semifinals with 2:09.16 and 2:09.21 at the Tokyo Olympics, she couldn’t replicate a similar show during the finals of the event. However, she will hope to turn her fortunes this time around at the 2024 Paris Olympics, considering her dominating performances in the discipline this season.