Kate Douglass wins gold on final day of FINA Short Course World Championships

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Junior Kate Douglass closed out the last day of competition at the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships with a gold medal in the women’s 4×50 freestyle relay in Abu Dhabi.

Douglass finished with five World Championship medals for Team USA, swimming on four relays and winning an individual in the 200-meter medley. The UVA school record holder in the 50-yard freestyle, Douglass anchored the 4×50 free relay with the second-fastest anchor split in the pool and propelled Team USA to gold after the team trailed Sweden heading into the final swimmer.

She surpassed Sweden’s Louise Hansson (23.81) with a 23.42 split as Team USA clocked in first in 1:34.22 ahead of Sweden’s 1:34.54.

Douglass and Madden also swam the prelims of the women’s 4×100 medley relay that finished fourth in prelims and finals. Douglass swam the butterfly leg, while Madden anchored with freestyle.

Virginia’s Douglass, Madden and freshman Emma Weyant combined for eight medals in the five-day meet. Douglass took home two golds (4×100 free relay), two silvers (4×50 medley relay & 4×50 mixed medley relay) and a bronze (200 individual medley). Madden won a bronze (200 free) and silver (4×200 free relay) and Weyant won silver (4×200 free relay).