After three previous bronze medals, Kate Douglass picked up her first individual global title, kicking off the world short course swimming championships with an American record in the 200m individual medley.
Douglass, the Olympic 200m IM bronze medalist, prevailed Tuesday in 2:02.12 in Melbourne in a U.S. one-two with University of Virginia teammate Alex Walsh. Race video is atop this post.
Douglass swam the second-fastest time in history, just off the world record of 2:01.86 set by Hungarian Katinka Hosszu, who had the top 11 times in history. Walsh, who touched in 2:03.37, became the third-fastest performer in history.
Douglass, 21, is known for her versatility. The 200m IM is her trademark event, but she also won bronze in the 200m breaststroke at last June’s world championships in Budapest, plus NCAA titles in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.
Short course worlds run through Sunday. They are held in a 25-meter pool. Most major international meets, including the Olympics, are held in 50-meter pools.
The U.S. earned a leading six medals among Tuesday’s six finals.
Carson Foster took silver in the men’s 200m IM behind South African Matt Sates. Leah Smith bagged bronze in the 400m freestyle behind Australian Lani Pallister and New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather. The U.S. earned silver in the women’s 4x100m free relay and bronze in the men’s 4x100m free.
The U.S. roster at worlds is headlined by individual Olympic gold medalists Ryan Murphy and Lilly King, plus Torri Huske, who earned six medals June’s worlds in Budapest (50-meter pool), and Claire Curzan, who won five medals in Budapest.
SHORT COURSE WORLDS: Full Results
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