Douglass and McKeown Smash Short Course World Records at Westmont World Cup

A thrilling night of swimming unfolded in Westmont, Illinois, on Sunday as American Kate Douglass and Australian Kaylee McKeown both broke short course world records at the World Cup series.

Douglass, the reigning Olympic 200m breaststroke champion, stunned spectators by setting a new 100m freestyle world record, while McKeown shattered the 200m backstroke record in an equally dominant performance.

Record-Breaking Performances

Douglass clocked 50.19 seconds in the women’s 100m freestyle final, narrowly surpassing the previous world record of 50.25 seconds set by Cate Campbell in 2017.

“It feels surreal. I didn’t come in expecting a world record, but the energy tonight was incredible,” Douglass said after her win.

The 23-year-old American also holds short course world records in both the 200m breaststroke and 200m individual medley, solidifying her reputation as one of the most versatile swimmers of her generation.

Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan secured silver in 51.44 seconds, while Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands claimed bronze, finishing just 0.12 seconds behind O’Callaghan.

Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, who famously swept 100m and 200m backstroke gold at both the Tokyo (2020) and Paris (2024) Olympics, delivered another masterclass by finishing in 1:57.87 — a new 200m backstroke world record.

Her time eclipsed the 1:58.04 mark set by Regan Smith in Budapest in December 2023.

Remarkably, Smith herself was in the pool alongside McKeown and also broke her own world record, touching in 1:57.91, but still settling for second place.

“Regan pushed me all the way — she always does. It’s special to race against someone who brings out the best in you,” McKeown said post-race.

Australia’s Lani Pallister triumphed in the 1,500m freestyle, finishing with a time of 15:13.83 — the second-fastest women’s short course time in history.

This impressive performance came just days before the final leg of the World Cup series, set to take place in Toronto, the same venue where Ledecky established the standing world record two years ago.