Former NC State swimmer Katharine Berkoff clinches spot in Olympic 100 backstroke finals
For former NC State swimmer Katharine Berkoff, her first Olympic goal was to have fun. The second? That was to win a medal, like her father, David, did in the 1992 Barcelona games.
So far, she appears to have checked the first box with a beaming smile on her face through her first two swims at La Défense Arena in Paris. And she’s positioned to do the same with the second.
Berkoff, a five-time NCAA Champion with the Wolfpack, punched her ticket to the 100 backstroke finals with a 58.27 in the semifinals Monday afternoon. She will be the third-fastest seeded swimmer in the final, which is set for Tuesday at 2:56 p.m. ET.
The Missoula, Mont., native nearly set a world record earlier in the day with a 57.99 in the preliminary heats, her first Olympic swim. Berkoff was the No. 1 qualifier into the semifinals, just ahead of world record holder Regan Smith, a fellow American.
Berkoff missed the Olympic games in Tokyo with a fourth-place finish at the trials, but she was able to cruise into Paris with a second-place finish at the trials in 57.91. Smith broke the world record with a 57.13 swim to claim the top spot in the event.
Before Berkoff impressed on the Olympic stage, she was a “program changer” in Raleigh. In addition to being a five-time NCAA Champion, including three titles in 100-meter backstroke, Berkoff was also a 30-time All-America honors. Berkoff is a six-time ACC Champion, winning the 100-meter backstroke event in five straight years.
In addition to Berkoff’s success in the water, she was named the 2024 H.C. Kennett Award winner, which honors the top female athlete at NC State. Berkoff was also the 2022 Honda Sport Award finalist and a four-time All-ACC Academic team selection during her time with the Wolfpack.
Now, Berkoff is two lengths of the pool away from joining her father as an Olympic medalist.
Other NC State Olympic results
While Berkoff has dazzled in the water for the Team USA women, she is not alone as former Wolfpack swimmers in Paris. She was joined by 10 others in the water at the event, and they have found success as well.
Ryan Held, a 2018 NC State graduate, helped the U.S. 4×100 freestyle team reach gold as he led the preliminary team to help the Americans reach the finals. It is his second Olympic gold after he was on the 4×100 freestyle relay squad that won in 2016.
While Held claimed a medal, Andreas Vazaios made history as the first four-time Olympian in NC State history. He led Greece’s 4×100 freestyle relay team with a 49.50 split en route to a 16th-place finish.
And as Vazaios wrote another chapter in his storied Olympic career, former Wolfpack ace Bartosz Piszczorowicz made his debut in Paris. He helped lead Poland’s 4×100 freestyle relay team with a 48.39 split to finish 13th overall.
Rounding out NC State’s results was Sweden’s Sophie Hansson, who logged a 1:06.96 time in the 100-meter breaststroke to finish 13th overall.
