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Early on Wednesday, July 28 in Tokyo, the 19-year-old Kate Douglass, a Westchester native who starred for Pelham High School, won the bronze medal in the 200-meter individual medley, behind Japan’s You Ohashi and her teammate at the University of Virginia, Alex Walsh.
In earning the bronze medal and a spot on the podium, Douglass posted a personal best time in the pool with a 2:09.04 finish. Her time was less than .50 seconds behind Walsh’s finish.
“We all feed off each others’ successes,” Douglass said to reporters following the race about Team USA’s swimming squad. “It’s just showing that there’s a great future for US swimming out there.”
Douglass actually raced early on Wednesday morning in Tokyo, but due to the time difference, it was broadcast by NBC late on Tuesday night, including a special showing at the Picture House in Pelham.
A 2018 graduate of Pelham High School, Douglass got her feet wet in 2016 at the Olympic trials before swimming her way onto the Olympic team this year in Tokyo.
Ohashi led the pace for the event, which saw Douglass and Walsh battling back and forth, with the latter excelling in the backstroke while the former took advantage of the final 50 meters of the race to close in, but came up just short in claiming the bronze medal.
“I think we all knew that it was going to come down to the last 50 in that race because all our times are pretty close together,” Douglass said after the event.
Before starring at the Olympics, Douglass - and Walsh - were pivotal to the University of Virginia’s swimming successes this year, leading them to a team title, with both winning individual NCAA championships, Walsh in the 200-meter individual medley and Douglass in the 50-meter freestyle event.
Douglass can now add an Olympic medal to her well-stocked trophy case.
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