American Douglass breaks 50m freestyle world record

American Kate Douglass broke Olympic champion Sarah Sjostrom's women's ​50 metres freestyle world record ‌on Friday at a U.S. Pro Swim Series event in Indianapolis.

The ​24-year-old, who won the 200m ​breaststroke gold medal at the ⁠2024 Paris Olympics, clocked 23.59 ​seconds to better the 23.61 ​set by Swede Sjostrom at the 2023 world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

"I mean ​wow, that's crazy, I ​think I'm still in shock, I don't ‌even ⁠know what to say,” Douglass told broadcaster Peacock.

“I was really just hoping to go a ​best time, ​break ⁠the American record. That’s a lot faster than ​I ever thought I would ​go ⁠tonight, or ever."

Douglass finished ahead of Gretchen Walsh (23.78), with whom ⁠she ​shared the previous ​U.S. record of 23.91.

-Reuters