American Kate Douglass wins first Olympic gold medal in 200-meter breaststroke

NANTERRE, France — American Kate Douglass won the first Olympic gold medal of her career Thursday night, beating a loaded field in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke that included the reigning Olympic champion.

Douglass captured gold in 2:19.24 to set an American record. She finished ahead of South Africa’s Tatjana Smith, the reigning Olympic champion, who earned silver and the Netherlands’ Tes Schouten who took bronze. It is Douglass’ third Olympic medal overall and second of the meet so far, as she won silver as part of the U.S. women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay Saturday night.

KATE DOUGLASS STRIKES GOLD IN THE 200M BREASTSTROKE. 🥇🇺🇸 #ParisOlympics | 📺 NBC and Peacock pic.twitter.com/ZtNpUGcnjg

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 1, 2024

“I knew if I went a best time and went the American record, that would probably win the race,” Douglass said. “So that was the plan. I could see on the turn where I was, so I kicked it into high gear.

“I couldn’t tell if (Smith) was going to catch me. I was trying to say calm and collected.”

Douglass, 22, is one of the faces of Team USA at the Paris Games, a former University of Virginia star who is blossoming on the world stage. She swims a wide range of events, which gives her great flexibility in piecing together her schedule for a meet and/or participating in relays. She will swim as part of the U.S. women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay Thursday and will compete in the women’s 200-meter individual medley as well.

Prelims for the 200 IM begin Friday morning, with the semifinals Friday night and the final Saturday. Douglass is the reigning world champion in the event and is considered a top contender alongside Canadian Summer McIntosh. She took bronze in the event in Tokyo.

For more on swimming at the Paris Games, follow The Athletic’s live blog.

“I’m really excited,” Douglass said after winning gold Thursday. “For a while, I wasn’t sure if Olympic champion was going to be possible for me to say. And now it’s really exciting to see it happen. I’m really excited to get a gold for Team USA and help the medal count.”