Kate Douglass Scratches 100 Free at Pan Pacs, Targets 100 Breaststroke After 51.93 Breakthrough
Updated
Updated · SwimSwam · Aug 13
Kate Douglass Scratches 100 Free at Pan Pacs, Targets 100 Breaststroke After 51.93 Breakthrough
2 articles · Updated · SwimSwam · Aug 13
Summary
Kate Douglass withdrew from Thursday’s 100 freestyle prelims at the Pan Pacific Championships and will swim only the 100 breaststroke as an individual event.
A packed medal-contending schedule drove the decision, with Douglass trimming events less than two weeks after posting a 51.93 100 free that made her the fastest entrant on paper.
Her absence removes the likely favorite from a field already weakened by Mollie O’Callaghan’s meet withdrawal with a back injury, while Simone Manuel’s listed best dates to 2019 and Torri Huske struggled on day 1.
Douglass had fueled 100 free expectations by splitting 51.0 on Wednesday’s mixed medley relay, leaving any fresh look at that form to a possible relay leadoff later in the meet.
How will Kate Douglass's unexpected withdrawal from the 100 freestyle reshape the battle for gold and alter US relay dominance?
With top stars abandoning key races at Pan Pacs, are grueling schedules cheating fans out of historic swimming showdowns?
As elite swimmers prioritize specific medals, could this tactical schedule manipulation permanently change how future championship events are structured?