At the opening of the US trials for the short-course World Championships in Westmont, Illinois, US swimmers set three world records. Katharine Berkoff broke the 50m backstroke global mark, Van Mathias lowered the 100m breaststroke record, and Kate Douglass tied the 50m freestyle standard.
Katharine Berkoff and Van Mathias Set New World Marks in Illinois
Katharine Berkoff opened the meet by winning the 50m backstroke in 25.21 seconds. The reigning world champion shaved two hundredths of a second off the previous record held by Regan Smith. Smith finished second in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:00.87. Meanwhile, Claire Curzan placed second in the 50m backstroke in 25.26 seconds, making her the fourth-fastest swimmer in history in the event.
Van Mathias posted the second world-record performance of the day in the 100m breaststroke. Coming just one year after his return to competition, the Pan Pacs winner clocked 55.14 seconds. That time lowered Ilya Shymanovich’s previous benchmark by 14 hundredths of a second. Mathias had already signaled his speed in the morning preliminaries by setting a new US record.
Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh Trade Records in the Sprint Events
Kate Douglass matched the 50m freestyle world record set by Gretchen Walsh just two weeks prior. Both athletes now share the global benchmark at 22.75 seconds. Douglass later claimed victory in the 200m breaststroke in 2:14.12, remaining the only woman outside of herself to swim the distance that fast.
Gretchen Walsh bounced back from her narrow defeat in the 50m freestyle, where she touched in 22.99 seconds. She delivered a dominant performance in the 100m individual medley, winning in 56.58 seconds to secure her first spot for the upcoming short-course World Championships in Beijing. Ilya Kharun qualified to represent the United States internationally for the first time. Following a nationality switch, the two-time Olympic medalist won the 100m butterfly in 48.45 seconds.
Caeleb Dressel Returns to the National Team With Multiple Wins
Caeleb Dressel secured his place on the US roster with two victories in Westmont. The veteran sprinted to the top of the 50m freestyle field in 20.57 seconds, part of a fast heat where seven swimmers dipped under the 21-second barrier. Dressel followed up by claiming the 100m individual medley in 50.34 seconds.
| Event | Winner | Time / Result |
|---|---|---|
| 50m Backstroke (w) | Katharine Berkoff | 25.21 sec (WR) |
| 100m Breaststroke (m) | Van Mathias | 55.14 sec (WR) |
| 50m Freestyle (w) | Kate Douglass & Gretchen Walsh | 22.75 sec (WR tie) |
| 100m Butterfly (m) | Ilya Kharun | 48.45 sec |
| 100m Medley (m) | Caeleb Dressel | 50.34 sec |
Additional event winners on the opening day included Gabriel Jett, who took the men’s 200m backstroke in 1:47.75. Claire Weinstein won the women’s 400m freestyle in 4:00.18, and Luke Hobson claimed the men’s 400m freestyle in 3:36.24. In the distance events, Katie McCarthy won the women’s 1500m freestyle in 16:10.50, while Ryan Erisman took the men’s 800m freestyle in 7:34.84, according to World Aquatics.
