IRVINE, Calif. – Virginia alumna Kate Douglass broke the world record in the 50m Freestyle on Saturday (Aug. 15) at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships, being held August 12-16 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, Calif.
Douglass posted a time of 23.49 in her preliminary heat of the 50m Freestyle, retaking the world record. Her fellow Cavalier Gretchen Walsh held the previous record of 23.55, set at the Sette Colli Trophy meet in late June in Rome, which had broken a world record set by Douglass nine days earlier (23.59).
Walsh had the second fastest time in Saturday's qualifying heats, going 23.78.
This is Douglass' second world record of the meet.
Douglass and Walsh combined to help set a world record in the Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay on Wednesday night (Aug. 12). Walsh swam the butterfly leg of the relay (54.99) with Douglass anchoring, splitting 51.01 on the freestyle to touch the wall in world record time of 3:36.70. Walsh helped set the previous record of 3:37.43 at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Douglass narrowly missed setting a world record in the 100m Free on Friday night (Aug. 14). She posted a 51.69 in the leadoff leg of the 4x100m Free Relay, just .01 off the world record mark. The time was an American record.
Douglass and Walsh will swim in the final at 10:33 pm ET. The meet streams live on Peacock.