Versatile American Women Must Consider New Schedule on Road to Los Angeles Olympics
This year’s World Championships concluded with the American team of Regan Smith, Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske winning gold in the women’s 400 medley relay in world-record time. It is impossible to fully predict the next three years, but no one would be surprised if an identical scenario played out in the last swimming race of the Los Angeles Olympics.
That relay comes at the end of the nine-day Olympic schedule, and all four of these women should be busy over that stretch, especially if they remain at or near the peak of their powers between now and 2028. Smith, Douglass, Walsh and Huske are each among the best swimmers in the world in a wide swath of events; each has won global medals in at least four different events during their careers.
What might their schedules look like for the LA Games? These swimmers surely have interest in the newly-released event lineup. The placement of the 50-meter stroke events is of particular focus since all would be medal contenders in one or more one-lap races.
Regan Smith — Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Smith has frequently navigated doubles at major international meets in recent years as she has navigated the 200 butterfly around her usual packed schedule of backstroke races. At the Paris Olympics, she swam the 200 fly final and 200 back double on the same night, and at the 2022, 2023 and 2025 World Championships, she has raced the 200 fly and 50 back in the same session for all three rounds. The new Olympic schedule splits up all of Smith’s events, but with a catch.
- Saturday 7/22: 50 Backstroke P/SF
- Sunday 7/23: 50 Backstroke F
- Monday 7/24: 100 Backstroke P/SF
- Tuesday 7/25: 100 Backstroke F
- Wednesday 7/26: Off
- Thursday 7/27: 200 Backstroke P/SF
- Friday 7/28: 200 Backstroke F
- Saturday 7/29: 200 Butterfly P/SF, Mixed 400 Medley Relay
- Sunday 7/30: 200 Butterfly F, Women’s 400 Medley Relay
In a new twist, the 200 fly now comes at the tail end of the meet as opposed to its typical placement midway through. Now, Smith must navigate that event and possible medley relay swims on the same night. Participation in the mixed relay would be especially tough, with the 200 fly semis coming right beforehand, but the schedule on the final night of competition would give Smith a lengthy break between the 200 fly final and the women’s medley relay.
Smith has previously raced the 100 fly at U.S. qualifying meets, narrowly missing out on a spot in Paris while swimming a time that would have been good enough for an Olympic podium finish. However, that event mirrors the 50 back schedule in 2028, likely eliminating it as a possibility.
Kate Douglass — Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
Douglass might have the largest range of events of any swimmer: she is the Olympic and world champion in the 200 breaststroke, and she was this year’s Worlds runnerup in the 100 breast. She is a two-time world titlist and Olympic silver medalist in the 200 IM, and she owns the short course world record in the 100 free. She is an entrenched member of the American women’s 400 free relay squad. Douglass is the co-American-record holder in the 50 free, and she raced the 50 fly at this year’s World Championships, narrowly missing the top-eight when the semifinals took place immediately after the 200 breast final. We will consider those individual events as legitimate possibilities for 2028.
- Saturday 7/22: 400 Freestyle Relay
- Sunday 7/23: 100 Breaststroke P/SF, 100 Freestyle P/SF
- Monday 7/24: 100 Breaststroke F, 100 Freestyle F
- Tuesday 7/25: 200 Breaststroke P/SF
- Wednesday 7/26: 200 Breaststroke F, 50 Butterfly P/SF
- Thursday 7/27: 50 Butterfly F, 200 IM P/SF
- Friday 7/28: 200 IM F
- Saturday 7/29: 50 Freestyle P/SF, Mixed 400 Medley Relay
- Sunday 7/30: 50 Freestyle F, Women’s 400 Medley Relay
It seems safe to say Douglass will not attempt six individual events in Los Angeles! The 200 breast is a lock for her program, and the schedule means a return to the 200 IM makes sense after she did not contest the event in 2025. The 50 free fits into her schedule at the end, meaning there would be no downside to racing the event at Olympic Trials. But the 50 fly is an obvious casualty here, and Douglass would surely have to choose between the 100 breast and 100 free. Given her recent results, the 100 breast is the likely choice, although she would surely be considered for the 400 free relay.
For Walsh, the schedule revolves around the sprint freestyle and butterfly events, and her program seems clear. The second day of the meet has a double with the 100 fly final and 100 free semis, but those races are first and seventh in the session, respectively. Later on, she would also have potential doubles late in the meet with the 50 free and both medley relays.
- Saturday 7/22: 100 Butterfly P/SF, 400 Freestyle Relay
- Sunday 7/23: 100 Butterfly F, 100 Freestyle P/SF
- Monday 7/24: 100 Freestyle F
- Tuesday 7/25: Off
- Wednesday 7/26: 50 Butterfly P/SF
- Thursday 7/27: 50 Butterfly F
- Friday 7/28: Off
- Saturday 7/29: 50 Freestyle P/SF, Mixed 400 Medley Relay
- Sunday 7/30: 50 Freestyle F, Women’s 400 Medley Relay
No tough choices for Walsh, but the same cannot be said for the swimmer favored to swim alongside her in many individual events.
Torri Huske — Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
Huske also has the sprint freestyle and butterfly events, but the 200 IM and 200 free enter the picture as legitimate possibilities along with the 800 free relay. Huske qualified to represent the U.S. in the 200 free for the first time this year, although she ceded her individual slot at Worlds to focus on other events.
- Saturday 7/22: 100 Butterfly P/SF, 400 Freestyle Relay
- Sunday 7/23: 100 Butterfly F, 100 Freestyle P/SF
- Monday 7/24: 100 Freestyle F
- Tuesday 7/25: 200 Freestyle P/SF
- Wednesday 7/26: 200 Freestyle F, 50 Butterfly P/SF
- Thursday 7/27: 200 IM P/SF, 50 Butterfly F, 800 Freestyle Relay
- Friday 7/28: 200 IM F
- Saturday 7/29: 50 Freestyle P/SF, Mixed 400 Medley Relay
- Sunday 7/30: 50 Freestyle F, Women’s 400 Medley Relay
Of course, racing all six of these individual events would be far too many, especially with four relays mixed in. The 50 fly and 200 IM would be obvious choices to drop; the 200 free final comes right before the 50 fly semi, and the medley semifinal is shortly before the 50 fly final. Huske could also race the 200 free only at Olympic Trials to earn an 800 free relay berth, thus sticking with either the 50 fly or 200 IM. As with Walsh, the 100 fly final and 100 free semifinal are far enough apart to not present any problem.
Remember, Los Angeles is a long way away, and the status quo of swimming could change drastically during that time. But for these four swimmers with obvious aspirations to again excel on the Olympic level, the path forward is now clear. They know the challenging tasks and the order for their ultimate Los Angeles goal.
