Katie Grimes Claps Cate Campbell’s Australian Teammate in 200M Backstroke Heats at Swimming World Cup 2023

The European fans got the rare chance to witness American swimming prowess on the final day of the heats at the Swimming World Cup 2023 in Berlin. In one race after the other, members of Team USA consistently made a mark by occupying the top positions on the scoring table. Joshua Brown led the charge from the men’s division while in the women’s races, Katie Grimes took the lead. 

Katie Grimes has always been at the top of her swimming game and was once the youngest American to compete at the Olympic Games at age 15. Now, the 17-year-old Grimes has more experience under her belt, which she made full use of in the 200-meter backstroke heat in the Swimming World Cup 2023. Her Australian rival Kaylee Mckeown, who was topping the women’s ranking chart at the end of Day 1 of the Berlin meet, did not know what hit her. 

Katie Grimes girded for double gold at the Swimming World Cup 2023

Yesterday, Katie Grimes won the Women’s 400-meter Medley in a nail-biting finish against Japan’s Ageha Tanigawa. On the third and final day of the Berlin leg, Grimes was on a mission to extend her gold medal count and add more points to the ranking board. She competed in the 200-meter backstroke heats against rival Cate Campbell’s teammate Kaylee Mckeown. The latter is a three-time Olympic gold medalist and a force to be reckoned with in the pool. As per World Aquatics Katie Grimes and Kaylee Mckeown won her individual heats, but the time difference between them was nothing short of incredible. 

Mckeown is also the world record holder in both the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke races. In a remarkable twist, Grimes surpassed the Olympic champion by more than two seconds. In her heat 2, Grimes recorded 2.11.33 seconds while Mckeown posted 2.15.37 in heat 3. Even the point difference between the two athletes was large, indicating the American’s supremacy in the event. Grimes earned 828 Aqua Points, which was way more than her rival’s 756 points. Now, Grimes has the finals to look forward to, which will set her Olympic dreams on the line. 

Katie Grimes vying for Olympic glory

The young swimmer made a place for herself in the history books by competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics at 15 years of age. However, she did not make the podium and was upset with her fourth-place finish in the 800-meter freestyle. Competing in the 2022 World Championships against veteran swimmers, she was able to hold her own and even added silver medals to the United States’ tally. In 2023, she is not backing down till she has proved herself. In the Swimming World Cup, Katie Grimes has carried the torch for Team USA in multiple races and delivered impressive results.

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With her 200-meter backstroke heats results, she is now the most dominant swimmer in the category in Berlin. The finals this evening will set the stage for an exciting showdown between her and Kaylee Mckeown. If she is able to triumph, Katie Grimes will be one step closer to the biggest swimming competition in 2024 Paris. 

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