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.
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.
