Douglass Wins Gold, Walsh Silver at 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships

MELBOURNE – Senior Kate Douglass and junior Alex Walsh became the first two American women to swim under 2:04.00 in the 200-meter individual medley to win gold and silver, respectively, at the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships in Melbourne on Monday night.

The Cavalier duo became the second and third fastest swimmers in the event in history with their swims and added to their World Championship medal collections.

Douglass won her first individual gold medal with an American record time of 2:02.12 in the 200m IM. It was the second-fastest time ever in short course swimming for the event, just behind the world record (2:01.86) set by Katinka Hosszu (Hungary) in 2014. It is her third short course worlds gold medal, as she won two relay golds in 2021.

Douglass added a silver medal in the first night, swimming the fastest leg of the American record setting 4x100m freestyle relay. The Pelham, N.Y., native swam the second leg of the relay that finished in 3:26.29, just .86 behind the world record swim by Australia in 3:25.43.

Walsh won silver in the 200m IM finishing in a time of 2:03.37 to become the third-fastest swimmer in the event. It was the first short course worlds appearance for Walsh, who won gold in the 200 IM at the World Championships in June (2022).

UVA alum Leah Smith added a bronze medal in the 400-meter freestyle, finishing with a time of 4:01.13.