Team USA’s Kate Douglass triumphed in the women’s 200m breaststroke at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, clocking a time of 2:19.24 on Thursday, August 1, thereby breaking her own American record set earlier this year.
Tatjana Smith from South Africa closely trailed Douglass in the final lap to secure the silver medal with a time of 2:19.60. The Netherlands’ Tes Schouten claimed the bronze with a time of 2:21.05.
Douglass started strong, establishing an early lead over Smith with her powerful turns. Although Smith made significant gains in the third lap, Douglass regained her lead in the final lap, ultimately holding off Smith to capture the Olympic gold.
This victory marks Douglass’s first Olympic gold, adding to the silver she won earlier in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay at these Games. She has one more individual event remaining, the 200m individual medley, for which she earned a bronze medal at Tokyo 2020.
Discussing her strategy for Thursday’s competition, Douglass stated, “I knew if I went a best time and broke the American record, that would probably win the race. 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 she was going to catch me.
“I was trying to stay calm and collected. In the [200m] breast, I can stay relaxed because I have a specific race plan, and I know that if I stick to it, things will probably go well.”
Reflecting on her win, Douglass expressed her excitement: “I’m really excited. For a while, I wasn’t sure if being an Olympic champion was something I could achieve. Now it’s incredibly exciting to see it happen.”