Katharine Berkoff on American Records, Sara Curtis’ 26.56 & The Road to LA 2028

In this GMM takeover of the SwimSwam podcast we have 3-time Pan Pacific Championships gold medalist, Katharine Berkoff. Berkoff is coming off a huge summer, sweeping her individual events at the 2026 Pan Pacific Championships with gold in the 50 back and 100 back, then adding another gold as part of Team USA’s 4x100 medley relay. Her 50 back was the headline swim. Berkoff ripped a 26.90, lowering her own American Record. In the 100 back, she touched first in 57.93, beating a stacked field that included Regan Smith, who averaged 57.8 across multiple races in 2026. We unpack those swims and the rapidly changing landscape of women’s backstroke.