Kate Douglass set the American record in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 23.91 seconds on Feb. 18 in the World Aquatics Championships at Doha, Qatar.
Douglass won the silver medal in the competition behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, who won gold in 23.69 seconds.
Douglass surpasses Simone Manuel (23.97 seconds in 2017) as the American record-holder. The time by the former Virginia college star is also the eighth best all-time in the event.
The gold won by Sjostrom is her 14th of her career at the world championships.
Douglass, 22, won five medals (two golds, two silvers, one bronze) at the event that concluded Sunday night. Her gold medals came in the 200-meter individual medley and 400-meter mixed medley.
Douglass won a bronze medal in the 200 individual medley at the 2020 Summer Olympics, held in Tokyo in 2021 after being postponed a year due to COVID-19.
Douglass also set the American record in the 200-meter breaststroke last month when she was clocked in 2 minutes, 19.30 seconds at a meet in Knoxville, Tenn.
