Kate Douglass and Van Mathias gained Athlete of the 12 months awards at USA Swimming’s annual Golden Goggles on Saturday.
Douglass earned Feminine Athlete of the 12 months outright for the primary time after breaking the 50m freestyle world file thrice in 2026, plus swimming the second-fastest 100m free in historical past at August’s Pan Pacific Championships.
Douglass, the 2024 Olympic 200m breaststroke gold medalist, beforehand shared Feminine Athlete of the 12 months with Katie Ledecky in 2023.
Mathias gained his first Golden Goggle awards of any sort, honoring his out-of-nowhere comeback story.
Mathias broke the American data within the 50m and 100m breaststrokes in June and is the one U.S. man to carry the quickest time on the planet in any particular person Olympic occasion in 2026 (100m breast).
2026 Golden Goggle Award Winners
- Feminine Athlete of the 12 months: Kate Douglass
- Male Athlete of the 12 months: Van Mathias
- Coach of the 12 months: Todd DeSorbo
- Fran Crippen Open Water Athlete of the 12 months: Becca Mann
- Relay of the 12 months: Blended 4x100m Medley Relay – Will Modglin, Van Mathias, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass
- Alumni of the 12 months: Emily Klueh
- Breakout Performer of the 12 months: McKenzie Siroky
The swimming World Cup tour begins Thursday in Singapore, reside on Peacock.
