Kate Douglass wins 2 races in 12-minute span in Fort Lauderdale

Kate Douglass recorded one of the quickest sets of back-to-back wins in elite swimming, taking the 100m freestyle and 100m breaststroke over a 12-minute span at the Fort Lauderdale Open on Thursday.

Douglass, the Olympic gold medalist in the 200m breaststroke, won the 100m free in 53.01 seconds at 6:04 p.m. ET to open the finals session.

After the men's 100m free, Douglass returned for the next women's event, the 100m breast. She won that in 1:06.58 at 6:16 p.m.

Douglass did so against decorated competition.

The women's 100m free also included Gretchen Walsh, who was eighth in the event at the 2024 Olympics, and placed third on Thursday in 53.44, just behind former University of Virginia teammate Anna Moesch (53.25). Plus Simone Manuel, the 2016 co-Olympic gold medalist and American record holder who was fourth in 53.94.

In the 100m breast, Douglass edged 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Mona McSharry of Ireland by eight hundredths.

Last July, Douglass swam the 100m breast at worlds for the first time and took silver behind German Anna Elendt.

Douglass and other top Americans are preparing for this summer's major international meet — the Pan Pacific Championships in August in Irvine, California. Pan Pacs are held in non-Olympic and World Championships years and are for swimmers outside of Europe.

The U.S. roster for Pan Pacs, including Douglass, was determined via meets last summer.

Also Thursday, Canadian Summer McIntosh edged Katie Ledecky by 11 hundredths of a second in a 400m free showdown.

McIntosh, the world champion and world record holder, touched in 3:58.91.

A year ago in Fort Lauderdale, Ledecky, the third-fastest 400m free swimmer in history, clocked 3:56.81 to crush McIntosh by 1.47 seconds.

The Fort Lauderdale Open continues through Saturday.