50 m freestyle, women

What to remember

At the Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, California, on August 15, 2026, American Kate Douglass touched the wall in the 50 m freestyle in 23.19 s. It was the third time she broke the world record over the distance. In the men's event, the long course record belongs to Australia's Cameron McEvoy.

The 50 metres freestyle is the shortest race on the programme: a single length of an Olympic pool. It was first swum at the World Aquatics Championships in 1986 and at the Olympic Games in 1988. World Aquatics, which succeeded FINA, ratifies these records.

Born on November 17, 2001, Douglass is a five-time Olympic medallist with two golds, and has won 34 medals, 16 of them gold, at the World Championships in long and short course combined. She also holds short course world records in the 100 m freestyle, 200 m breaststroke and 200 m individual medley. Swimming for the University of Virginia from 2019 to 2023, she helped the team win three NCAA Division I titles, and she received the Honda Sports Award in 2022 and 2023.