Douglass, Smith and Walsh Add Medals at FINA World Championships

BUDAPEST – Virginia sophomore Alex Walsh and alum Leah Smith both won gold as part of Team USA’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay and junior Kate Douglass grabbed bronze at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest.

Walsh won her second gold of the meet after swimming the leadoff leg of the 800-meter freestyle relay in the prelims on Wednesday. She finished with a time of 1:57.94 as Team USA’s relay safely qualified for the finals in the event.

Smith swam the second leg of the relay in the final later that night to pick up her first gold at this year’s World Championships.

Douglass won her first individual World Championship medal, placing third in the 200-meter breaststroke. Douglass was in the lead with the final 50m to go, but fellow USA teammate Lilly King took gold in 2:22.41 and Douglass finished third in 2:23.20, just .16 seconds off of silver.

UVA still has Emma Weyant set to compete in the 400-meter individual medley on Saturday and Smith also has the 800-meter freestyle on Friday.