Katharine Berkoff (born January 28, 2001) is an American female swimmer who competed for North Carolina State University and won a gold medal in the 4x100 medley relay and a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. A prolific international competitor, she won fifteen medals, including five golds, at Short course and Long course World Championships between 2021-2024 in individual backstroke and both freestyle and medley relay events.
Berkoff was born in 2001. [1] She is the daughter of Shirley Gustafson and David Berkoff, a former swimmer who won four medals at the Summer Olympics. [2]
Berkoff grew up in Missoula, Montana, and attended Hellgate High School. [3]
She competed at the 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Championships in August. She won the silver medal in the 100 m backstroke and the bronze medal in the 200 m backstroke. [4]
In July 2019, Berkoff competed at the 2019 Summer Universiade. She won the gold medal in the 100 m backstroke and broke the meet record. Then, she finished fourth in the 50 m backstroke. In the women's 4 × 100 m medley relay, she won a gold medal. [5]
Berkoff attended North Carolina State University, where she swam for Head Coach Braden Holloway, a ten-time Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year. She would become NC State's first female Olympian. [6] She started competing for North Carolina in her freshman year from 2019–20, competing through 2023. [7]
Berkoff competed at the 2021 NCAA Division I Championships in March. She won the gold medal in the 100 y backstroke and finished sixth in the 200 y backstroke. Berkoff won gold medals in the women's 200 y medley relay and the women's 400 y medley relay. She won a bronze medal in the women's 200 y freestyle relay. [7]
In June, Berkoff competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials and finished fourth in the 100 m backstroke. [5]
In December, Berkoff competed at the 2021 World Championships (25 m). In the women's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, she swam in the heats and the final, winning a gold medal. In the women's 4 × 50 m medley relay, she swam in the heats, and the American team finished second in the final, earning her a silver medal. In the 100 m backstroke, Berkoff won the bronze medal. In the mixed 4 × 50 m medley relay, she swam in the heats, and the American team finished second in the final, earning her a silver medal. In the women's 4 × 200 m freestyle relay, she swam in the heats, and the American team finished second in the final, earning her a silver medal. In the women's 4 × 50 m freestyle relay, she swam in the heats and the final, winning a gold medal. In the women's 4 × 100 m medley relay, she swam in the heats and the final, helping the American team finish fourth. [5]
Berkoff competed at the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships in March. She won the gold medal in the 100 y backstroke while breaking the NCAA record. She also won the bronze medal in the 100 y freestyle. Berkoff won silver medals in the women's 200 y medley relay and the women's 400 y medley relay. She won a bronze medal in the women's 200 y freestyle relay. [7]
In April, Berkoff competed at the 2022 U.S. International Team Trials. She won the gold medal in the 50 m backstroke, breaking the American record. She also finished fourth in the 100 m backstroke. [5]
In June, Berkoff competed at the 2022 World Championships and won the silver medal in the 50 m backstroke. [5]
Berkoff competed at the 2023 NCAA Division I Championships in March. She won the silver medal in the 100 y backstroke. She also finished fifth in the 50 y freestyle and fifth in the 100 y freestyle. Berkoff won silver medals in the women's 200 y medley relay and the women's 400 y medley relay. [7]
In June, Berkoff competed at the 2023 U.S. National Championships. She won the gold medal in the 50 m backstroke and won the silver medal in the 100 m backstroke. [5]
In July, Berkoff competed at the 2023 World Championships. In the 100 m backstroke, she won the bronze medal. In the mixed 4 × 100 m medley relay, she swam in the heats, and the American team finished third in the final, earning her a bronze medal. In the 50 m backstroke, Berkoff finished fifth. In the women's 4 × 100 m medley relay, she swam in the heats, and the American team finished first in the final, earning her a gold medal. [5]
Berkoff won a gold medal, swimming leadoff backstroke in the first preliminary of the 4x100 m medley, finishing her preliminary leg with a time of 58.98, and her preliminary team finishing with a time of 3:56.40. The American gold medal team later swam a world record time of 3:49.63 in the finals without Berkoff, with Australia taking the silver, and China taking the bronze. [8]
Favored to medal in the Women's 100 m backstroke, she won the bronze medal with a time of 57.98. In a close finish, Australia's Kaylee McKeown took the gold in the Olympic record time of 57.33, and America's Regan Smith took the silver with a time of 57.66. [8]
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