Katharine Berkoff
Katharine Berkoff 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.
Career
Early career
Berkoff was born in 2001. She is the daughter of Shirley Gustafson and David Berkoff, a former swimmer who won four medals at the Summer Olympics.Berkoff grew up in Missoula, Montana, and attended Hellgate High School.
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.
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.
North Carolina State University
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. She started competing for North Carolina in her freshman year from 2019–20, competing through 2023.2021
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.In June, Berkoff competed at the 2020 U.S. Olympic trials and finished fourth in the 100 m backstroke.
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.
2022
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.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.
In June, Berkoff competed at the 2022 World Championships and won the silver medal in the 50 m backstroke.
2023
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.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.
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.
2024 Paris Olympics
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.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.