MISSOULA — Katharine Berkoff, a Missoula native, captured a gold medal Thursday in the 50-meter backstroke at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
Berkoff, who won a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke on Tuesday, prevailed in the 50-meter finals with a time of 27.08 seconds, outpacing fellow American Regan Smith (27.25 seconds) and third-place Letian Wan of China (27.3). It is Berkoff's first world title.
Katharine Berkoff claims her first individual world title as Regan Smith takes silver in the 50m backstroke.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 31, 2025
📺: Peacock | #AQUASingapore25 pic.twitter.com/Suyz98Kiaz
The 24-year-old Berkoff qualified for the finals with her performance in the semis on Wednesday; she took second in her heat behind English swimmer Lauren Cox. Berkoff finished in 27.34 seconds while Cox won the heat with a time of 27.26.
Berkoff, a highly decorated swimmer from Montana, won a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2024 Paris Olympics and helped the United States women's 4x100-meter medley relay team to a gold medal.
In high school, Berkoff won 14 individual state championships while at Missoula Hellgate and then competed in college at North Carolina State. She was a 30-time All-American and five-time NCAA champion for the Wolfpack.
