Johnathan Walker:Kate Douglass 'kicked it into high gear' to become Olympic breaststroke champion

NANTERRE,Johnathan Walker France — Kate Douglass was aiming for a best time, like most swimmers going into a race, especially an Olympic one. But she also had her sights on her own American record for the women’s 200-meter breaststroke. 

She had a feeling that if she broke that record, she’d win her first Olympic gold medal. She bet on herself and the race strategy that previously lifted her to best times, and she won big with Team USA’s third individual swimming gold medal so far at the Paris Olympics. 

“For a while I wasn't sure if ‘Olympic champion’ was going to be possible for me to say, and now it's really exciting to see it happen,” said Douglass, a two-time Olympian who was on the silver medal-winning 4x100-meter freestyle relay team in Paris and won a bronze in the 200-meter individual medley at the Tokyo Games. 

Douglass was victorious in Thursday’s 200 breaststroke final at Paris La Défense Arena in what was largely a two-person race against defending Olympic champ Tatjana Smith of South Africa. 

She won with a time of 2:19.24, which did, in fact, break her own 2:19.30 American record as she out-touched silver medalist Smith, who finished with a 2:19.60 race. Netherlands' Tes Schouten won bronze, finishing nearly two seconds behind Douglass.

2024 Olympic medals: Who is leading the medal count? Follow along as we track the medals for every sport.

Once Douglass, 22, took the lead on the second of four 50s, she never relinquished it. But she said in the final moments, even when she was clearly out front, she wasn’t sure if she’d win.

“I could see on the turn where I was, so I kicked it into high gear on the last 50,” she said. “I couldn't really tell if [Smith] was going to catch me or not, so I just gave it all I had.”

That high gear helped Douglass drop half a second from her semifinal time. 

And it actually gave fellow American and three-time Olympian Lilly King – who finished eighth – a unique view on the last lap. It’s one that King can laugh about now with a feeling of relief over her last individual Olympic race.  

“Tonight, I think, is all about celebrating Kate and that great accomplishment,” the 27-year-old King said. 

“I was actually so far behind, I took a peek up before the flags, and I saw her finish and win. So that was my little treat the last five, 10 meters of that race.”

Kind of like a metaphorical passing of the baton.

As King is wrapping up what she’s said will be her final Olympic Games, she said she’s “glad to see [Douglass] come into her own, especially in the Olympic space” and feels much more optimistic about the future success of American breaststrokers compared with past years. 

She was also “100%” confident Douglass would win her first Olympic championship Thursday. Her next race is the 200 IM, which begins Friday.

Douglass now joins Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske as the only American swimmers to win individual gold medals in Paris so far — though Team USA extended its medal count in the pool to 20 total Wednesday. 

“When Kate started to focus on the 200 breast, we knew that she was going to really be something special in that event,” King continued. 

“After her semifinal last night, it was pretty evident that she was going to be able to do it. So, glad she got the job done. She's one tough cookie.”