IRVINE, Calif. — Taylor Ruck heard the crowd roar when Kate Douglass set a new world record in Saturday’s 50-meter freestyle at Pan Pacific Championships, but she didn’t know the time, 23.19 seconds, until a few minutes later when she walked through the media mixed zone toward the warm-up pool.
“She went 23.1? She went 23.1?!” the Canadian standout repeated, shock spreading across her face. “Holy s—!”
Her reaction matched that of just about everyone at the Woollett Aquatics Center. Douglass’ swim was stunning: an explosion of speed that put her well ahead of American teammate and University of Virginia training partner Gretchen Walsh, who held the world record entering the meet. Douglass finished long into the wall, too, meaning she has potential to swim even faster in the future.
Douglass is now the fastest woman alive, breaking the world record in morning preliminaries with a 23.49 and then lowering it by 0.3 seconds at night. The 24-year-old — set to be one of Team USA’s faces at the 2028 Olympics — also boasts one of the most distinct event repertoires in the world. She raced the 200 breaststroke, an event in which she’s the reigning 2024 Olympic and 2025 world champ, less than 30 minutes after the 50 free, taking silver.
“There’s a lot of versatile swimmers out there, but the combination of breaststroke and freestyle is really, really rare,” Virginia coach Todd DeSorbo said. “The 200 breaststroke and sprint freestyle is even more rare.”
“Literally, I can’t even put it into words,” Ruck added. “It’s just amazing. She’s a legend.”
Douglass also won a silver medal in the 50 butterfly earlier at Pan Pacs and is also a world-class 200 individual medley swimmer. She took bronze and silver in the event at the 2021 and 2024 Olympics, respectively. That race was also Saturday, and even for Douglass it would have been too much to compete in three consecutive events. Plus, DeSorbo said entering the meet, she doesn’t like swimming backstroke outdoors.
She tested her endurance even more, anchoring the winning 4×100 medley relay for her sixth and final medal of the meet. Thanks to the men’s 1,500 free and women’s 800 free finals, she had a bit more rest before that race than she did for the 200 breaststroke, but the triple still took its toll. She split a 52.23, well off her 51.69 the night before, which was only one-hundredth off the world record.
With Canadian star Summer McIntosh faltering and having a difficult meet by her standards, Douglass and Australian Lani Pallister — who beat Katie Ledecky in a pair of individual races (the 400 and 800 freestyle) and McIntosh in another (the 200) — were the two most impressive women’s swimmers at the meet. Douglass finished with six medals, four of which were gold, and set three world records: two in the 50 and another in the 4×100 mixed medley relay. Her efforts were enough for her to win women’s swimmer of the meet.
“I was just so fired up (by the 50),” Ledecky said of Douglass. “She’s become such a leader for our team, along with so many of those younger swimmers that are coming up and really setting the tone for all of us.”
Douglass’ heroics and what they portend for the 2028 Los Angeles Games lead off our Team USA takeaways from Pan Pacs. Here are four others.
U.S. men in good shape with 200 free, 800 free relay
When Gabriel Jett looked at the scoreboard following the 200 freestyle, his jaw managed to both drop and find its way into a smile. He gazed around the pool, seemingly shocked as much as he was elated. His time of 1 minute, 43.96 seconds had won silver to American teammate Luke Hubson (1:43.85), and he’d cut nearly a second off his entry time.
“That was just so much faster than I ever could have thought,” he said afterwards, still stunned. “I just can’t believe I went 1:43. That’s so fast. You have no idea. That’s crazy, dude. I’m so excited.”
The race not only cemented the 23-year-old Jett as a potential Olympian but also highlighted how strong a position the American men are in for the 200 freestyle and, by extension, the 4×200 freestyle relay, a race in which they failed to make the podium at 2025 worlds. Hobson, who won bronze in the 200 at the 2024 Olympics and silver at 2025 worlds, is the leader of the charge. Aaron Shackell, only 21, showed his potential by throwing down a 1:44.23 split on the 4×200 relay, which won gold and came within a second of the Americans’ 2009 world record (6:58.55).
Gabriel Jett reacts after his 200-meter freestyle swim on Wednesday at Pan Pacs. Jett’s time of 1:43.96 was a personal best and puts him in good position to be an Olympian. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
“We have these young athletes that are coming up in this event and just getting better and getting more confidence and starting to race each other more and more,” said Dave Durden, who coaches Jett at Cal and was on the Team USA Pan Pacs staff. “That’s just going to help our 4×200 free relay as we get closer and closer to L.A.”
That record is within reach in the coming years. In Hobson’s words, “It’s coming soon.” To break it, the Americans will have to average better than 1:44.63. Hobson, Jett and Shackell have already cleared that mark, either on a flat or relay start, and others either have been or could get close. At U.S. Nationals earlier this summer, three swimmers went under 1:46. With two more years of prep, the Americans should be able to piece together a more-than-potent relay.
“I feel like ‘finally,’ right?” said national team director Greg Meehan, who shared Durden’s excitement about the Americans’ youth in the event. “We haven’t had depth in that event in some time.”
Michael Phelps — who was on the world record-holding relay — was pleased with what he saw.
“I was very happy to see two 1:43s,” said the 28-time Olympic medalist, who attended multiple sessions of Pan Pacs as a spectator. “Those guys, if they can continue to repeat those times and go 1:43, go 1:42, watch what happens. Especially being on your home soil (in 2028), you’re going to feel that adrenaline more than anything else.”
50s add new flavor — and open new doors
The 50-meter races of the backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke will be introduced to the Olympic program in 2028 with qualification beginning at 2027 World Cup stops. The inclusion of the 50s, already contested at world championships, offers more medal opportunities to strong sprinters like Douglass and Walsh and also creates pathways for swimmers like Van Mathias, who won silver in both the 50 butterfly and 50 breaststroke at Pan Pacs.
“It’s big,” said Mathias, who took two years off swimming before coming back in 2025. “Opens up the competition, allows more people to get back in the sport.”
“It elongates the career for some of these athletes, which is great and puts them in a spot where they can be potential medalists at the Olympic Games,” added Durden, who mentioned Mathias as a potential 50 specialist. “And it doesn’t matter the event, man. If you’re a medalist at the Olympic Games, no one really gives a damn what (event it’s) in.”
At Pan Pacs, Mathias established himself as having more range than just 50s. He won the 100 breaststroke, helped set a world record on the 4×100 mixed medley relay, and took gold again by swimming the breaststroke leg of the men’s 4×100 medley relay.
Gretchen Walsh is among the U.S. swimmers who have extra Olympic medal possibilities thanks to the addition of 50-meter events in every stroke. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
The prospect of Olympic 50s was encouraging to Americans at the meet.
“Just having another opportunity for the Olympic Team and winning a medal, it’s huge,” said Katharine Berkoff, who won the women’s 50 backstroke. “Super helpful.”
“It’s everything,” added Michael Andrew, a 2021 U.S. Olympian who competed in all four 50s at Pan Pacs and regularly did the events early in his career. “I’ve always been the fastest four 50s added up. … The fact I can swim all four strokes is pretty awesome. I think it’s something I’m going to lean heavily into.”
Walsh — who called the 50 butterfly “probably my favorite event” — said it hasn’t changed her training much, though she has added a little extra focus to her power butterfly work.
“It’s great for the sport,” Meehan said. “We can’t rest as a sport and just think that what we’ve always done is going to be what the public wants. … It’s opened up opportunities.”
U.S. men’s 100, 200 backstroke in transition period
From Aaron Peirsol to Matt Grevers to Ryan Murphy, the American men have consistently had at least one elite backstroker in the 100 or 200. But that stroke, at least above the 50-meter level, looked like a bit of a weakness coming out of the Pan Pacific Championships, at least in light of the country’s past standard.
Will Modglin, who trains at Texas, was the most successful 100 backstroker for the U.S. at the meet, helping set a world record in the 4×100 mixed medley relay and winning silver in the individual 100. But his time (53.37) was off his seed time (52.54) and would not have even made the finals at the European Championships.
At 22, he’s still a promising athlete for the U.S., and conditions for backstrokers were difficult at Irvine. Multiple swimmers said it was difficult to go straight while on their back, especially during the night sessions when there aren’t clouds.
“Even if it’s not the swim that I wanted, I know there’s a couple tenths in there just from that,” he said. “I think it definitely gives me some more motivation.”
The U.S. also failed to medal in the men’s 200 backstroke. Keaton Jones, an Olympic finalist, finished fourth with a 1:58.00, but his preliminary time (1:55.24) would have won gold. The 50 was the Americans’ most successful men’s back event at Pan Pacs, with Quintin McCarty winning gold and Modglin taking bronze.
Meehan stressed that there are still two years until the Los Angeles Games and a lot can change in that span.
“Literally a year ago, we were in a different spot in men’s breaststroke, and look where we are now,” he said, alluding to Mathias’ emergence and how much more favorable it has made the stroke’s outlook for the U.S.
Murphy also looks like he will still be a factor. The nine-time Olympic medalist is back racing after a post-Olympic break and dropped a 52.80 in the 100 at the Indianapolis Pro Swim Series in June. That would have won gold at Pan Pacs.
Swimmers not at Pan Pacs show out
There was no American qualification meet for Pan Pacs this summer — the U.S. announced its roster in 2025 — so several swimmers who weren’t at the meet cemented themselves as potential 2028 Olympians at U.S. National Championships a few weeks before Pan Pacs.
— Anna Moesch: Another swimmer from the Virginia training group, Moesch looks like she’ll be a major factor in both the 100 and 200 freestyles, winning both at Nationals. That makes her a prime relay candidate, too.
— Caeleb Dressel: This is a familiar name. After taking time off following the 2024 Paris Games, the 10-time Olympic medalist looked to be in good form at Nationals, posting times that would have medaled in the 50 and 100 freestyles and butterflies at Pan Pacs. Though he isn’t the force he was at his peak, he still looks capable of contending for individual medals and contributing to relays.
— Ilya Kharun: Kharun, a 2024 Olympian for Canada, is switching nationalities for competitive purposes and will be eligible for Team USA by the 2028 Games. He won bronze in the 100 and 200 butterfly in Paris and will immediately become arguably the Americans’ top swimmer in the stroke. He won the 50 and 100 butterfly at Nationals and was second to Pan Pacs gold medalist Luca Urlando in the 200.
— Ryan Erisman: Only 20, Erisman could be a factor in the Americans’ quest for 200 freestyle gold. He blasted a 1:45.23 at Nationals and also won the 800.
— Luka Mijatovic: The 17-year-old looks like a budding star and won the 400 freestyle in a time (3:43.45) that would’ve missed the Pan Pacs podium by only one-hundredth of a second. If he continues to improve, look out.
— Isabelle Stadden: The former Cal swimmer, now training at Virginia, posted a monster 200 backstroke time (2:04.76) and could also contend for an Olympic spot in the 50 and 100 backstroke.
