American Kate Douglass sets 50-meter freestyle world record at Pan Pacific
Kate Douglass, 24, is a five-time Olympic medalist.
Kate Douglass set a world record in the women's 50-meter freestyle in the preliminary heats of the Pan Pacific Championships on Saturday.
The 24-year-old from the New York City suburb of Pelham touched in 23.49 seconds in her heat at the outdoor pool in Irvine, California.
Douglass lowered the mark of 23.55 set by teammate Gretchen Walsh at an international meet in Rome in June.
It's the second time Douglass has lowered the world mark in the sprint race. She first did it on June 19 at the TYR Pro Swim Series meet in Indianapolis, posting a time of 23.59. Nine days later, Walsh lowered it again.
Walsh swam in the heat after Douglass and was timed in 23.78, making them the top two qualifiers for the evening final on the final day of competition in Irvine.