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Kate Douglass is a rising star in the sport of swimming. With a blistering pace in the first quarter of a race, she is definitely one of the most anticipated American athletes at the Paris Olympics in 2024, but will she be at the games?
As it stands, there is no reason to doubt her ability to make the Olympic Qualification Times. So there is only one obstacle in front of the young American swimmer and Paris, the U.S. National Olympic Trials. Kate Douglass is a very potent swimmer, especially at her favorite event, the 200-meter individual medley.
Douglass has been representing the United States on the international scene over the last few years and is one of the best in the country. However, she will have to bring her A-game to the trials to ensure qualification.
Kate Douglass' strengths
Douglass is a dominant force in the short course pool, which is 25 meters long. At the short-course world championships this year, she won five gold medals and dominated the 200-meter freestyle and the 200-meter breaststroke. The complication, however, comes with a long course pool, which is 50 meters in length. Kate Douglass' record at major long-course competitions is lined up with a series of bronze medals.
At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Kate Douglass managed to win a podium finish (bronze) in the 200-meter individual medley. The bronze came despite her first-place finish in both the heats and the semi-finals of the event. In the finals, she fell short of Japanese Yui Ohashi and fellow American Alex Walsh, who finished first and second respectively.
American swimmers expected to perform in Paris
Apart from Kate Douglass, there are a few other names that are expected to make the Olympics and also to perform well in them. Katie Ledecky is arguably the most successful swimmer of this era. Ever since making her professional debut, she has dominated the sport, especially in the long-distance categories.
As of now, Ledecky is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist, and has won 19 golds at the World Championships. She is expected to dominate Paris' long-distance events.
Caeleb Dressel is one of the most ecstatic personalities in the sport today. He is the world's fastest swimmer ever in the first 15 meters of a race. To date, Dressel has bagged seven Olympic gold medals, and fifteen golds at the World Championships. The 26-year-old remains the favorite to win the 50-meter freestyle in Paris. Unlike the 50 free, the 100-meter freestyle and butterfly are expected to be highly contested for, but as the reigning champion in both events, he is expected to win these as well.
Robert Finke, 23, has become one of the most prolific long-distance swimmers in the world. Still, in college, Finke has focused on his collegiate career since his stellar performance at the Tokyo Olympics. At the Olympics, he won two gold medals for his country in the 800 and 1500-meter freestyle events. Finke is expected to win the long-distance ventures in Paris by the American faithful.
