MISSOULA — Montanans have long known Katharine Berkoff was one of the great swimmers in Treasure State history.
After all, she won 14 individual high school state championships while at Missoula Hellgate from 2013-19, including four titles in the 100-yard backstroke, in which she still holds the state record at 52.40 seconds.
But few probably recognized just how high Berkoff ranked in the pantheon of the great swimmers in the world.
That all changed over the summer. Berkoff 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 the gold medal, making her the 2024 MTN Sports female athlete of the year.
Berkoff will be remembered for her performance in the pool in France, but she first made waves in June at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Swim Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. There, Berkoff won her semifinal heat of the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 57.83 seconds, becoming just the second woman in American history to break the 58-second barrier in the event.
Only five female swimmers in the world have ever clocked a sub-58 in the 100 backstroke.
Berkoff is now one of those women, joining fellow American Regan Smith, Australians Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O'Callaghan and Canadian Kylie Masse.
In France, McKeown won the 100 backstroke gold in an Olympic-record time of 57.33 seconds. Smith, who holds the world record at 57.13 seconds, was second at 57.66 seconds.
McKeown and Smith are arguably the two best female backstrokers of all-time, and Berkoff led them with less than 50 meters to go. She was ultimately passed on the backstretch, earning the bronze medal with a time of 57.98 seconds.
And she added even more international hardware since the Olympics.
Competing in December at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) 2024 in Hungary, Berkoff won gold and set the world record in the women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay (3:25.01), won silver in the 50 backstroke (25.61; Smith won gold with a world-record time of 25.23) and 100 backstroke (54.93; Smith won gold with a course-record time of 54.55), and won bronze in the mixed 4x50-meter medley relay (1:36.20).
The World Aquatics Swimming Championships medals were just the latest accolades for Berkoff, the daughter of four-time Olympic medalist Dave Berkoff. After her standout high school career at Hellgate, Katharine Berkoff competed in college at North Carolina State. With the Wolfpack, Berkoff:
- Became the first woman in ACC history to win five consecutive ACC championships in the same event (100 backstroke);
- Won five NCAA championships (2021 100 back stroke, 400 medley relay and 200 medley relay; 2022 100 back stroke; 2024 100 backstroke);
- Set the program record for fastest time in seven events (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 100 backstroke, 200 medley relay, 400 medley relay, 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay);
- Became a 30-time All-American (100 backstroke, five times; 400 medley relay, five times; 50 freestyle, four times; 200 medley relay, four times; 100 freestyle, three times; 200 freestyle relay, three times; 400 freestyle relay, three times; 200 backstroke, two times; 800 freestyle relay, one time).
Berkoff's achievements at North Carolina State, Hellgate High School and beyond laid the groundwork for her incredible year in 2024.
Montanans have long known she's one of the great swimmers in Treasure State history. Now, the rest of the planet knows, too: Berkoff is one of the best backstrokers in the world.
