Katharine Berkoff’s 50m race at the U.S. World Championship Trials was one for the history books, with the 21-year-old setting a new American record.
Touching the wall at 27.12, Berkoff broke Regan Smith’s record time of 27.33 seconds, set during Thursday’s preliminary race.
Watch Katharine Berkoff's American Record 🔙pic.twitter.com/baVrMfk8Ed
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) April 28, 2022
Smith finished second to Berkoff in the final with a time of 27.25, in front of Olivia Smoliga, who came in third at 27.33.
“It feels awesome,” Berkoff told NBC Sports. “It’s nice to have some long-course success this year. It was a lot of fun racing.”
Berkoff’s winning time is the fifth-fastest ever and secures her a spot on the Worlds team.