The 50m free swimming events in women’s discipline witnessed some of the proverbial good fights in the competitive genre. In World Aquatics Championships 2023, the fight in between alleviated to a scenic experience for the fans. It was between the swimming ace from Sweden, Sarah Sjostroem, and a Chinese inspiration, Zhang Yufei. Meanwhile, the Swede earned the gold medal by edging the Chinese to the third position. But meanwhile, several records felt extinction in the tussle. The Knoxville swimming event this year expected a mouthwatering fight in the event.
This time, the fight was between a bunch of American swimming stars and a Polish swimming numero uno. The result ended with the phenomenal bunch entering the sub-25 category.
Swimming experience wins the race
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On day 4, prelim of 50 LC m free in the women’s category of the TYR Pro Swim Series 2024, Kate Douglass and Abbey Weitzel thoroughly enjoyed the fans’ choice to lock horns between themselves.
But when the ultimate mark was breached, the list of names displayed a Polish swimming veteran as the winner. It was the day of Kate Douglass, but the 50 free event belonged to Kasia Wasick. The podium earners’ list was visible in the X-post of SwimSwam Live.
The final lineup showed, “Knoxville Women’s 50 Free Podium: Kasia Wasick (DM) — 24.31 Abbey Weitzeil (CAL) — 24.57 Kate Douglass (NYAC) — 24.67”
Knoxville Women's 50 Free Podium:
🥇Kasia Wasick (DM) — 24.31
🥈Abbey Weitzeil (CAL) — 24.57
🥉Kate Douglass (NYAC) — 24.67#TYRProSeries— SwimSwam Live (@SwimSwamLive) January 14, 2024
Still, on that estimate, Kate Douglass’ performance was not that bleak as on the same day she gave a record-making performance in the Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center. Her 200m breaststroke event was a few minutes earlier than the 50 free showtime. But that couldn’t hit the prowess Kasia Wasick nurtured for years.
The late efflux and better outcome
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After competing in the Rio Olympics, Kasia Wasick decided to hang up her swimming wearings forever. Her continued fracas with shoulder injury left her at bay. However, the 31-year-old veteran wasn’t fully off from the exercise and fitness regime.
And that helped to make a comeback. From then, the swimming god served the Polish swimmer with glittering. The first one was gaining the fifth position in the penultimate 50m free event at the Tokyo Olympics. That was Wasick’s best Olympic performance.
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Later, the swimming talisman earned her silver medal in the Budapest World Championship, bowing to only the legend Sarah Sjostroem. That performance almost repeated a few days ago in the 2023 Rotterdam Qualification meet. Now the TYR Pro Series’ performance will add an entry in that second-career stint of the Polish national record holder.
Watch this story: Revealed: Here’s How Swimming Queen Katie Ledecky Swims So Fast Without Getting Tired