Montanan takes home bronze in 100 meter backstroke at Paris Olympics

Missoula native Katharine Berkoff won bronze on July 30 at the Paris Olympics, taking home a medal in her first Olympic appearance.

Berkoff came in third with a time of 57.98 seconds, just behind fellow American Regan Smith, who won silver with a time of 57.66. Australia’s Kaylee McKeown took home the gold with a time of 57.33, an Olympic record. 

Berkoff, 23, who graduated from Hellgate High School in 2019, follows in the footsteps of her father, David Berkoff, who won four Olympic medals in the late 1980s and early 1990s. She won her bronze medal exactly 32 years to the day that her father won bronze in the 100 meter backstroke in the 1992 games in Barcelona, NBC Sports reported. 

“It’s really cool, I mean I just went out there and did everything I could. But it was really special. I’m super glad to be able to be in my dad’s footsteps,” Berkoff said after her swim. 

Montanans were cheering Berkoff on from back home, holding watch parties as she took to the pool in the Paris’ La Défense Arena. 

During her swim, Berkoff’s family could be seen in the crowd wearing “Team Berkoff” shirts that featured an American flag and her home town of Missoula.

Montana politicians were also rooting for Berkoff. 

Sen. Jon Tester posted a photo of himself in his U.S. Senate office watching the race.

“Cheering on Missoula’s own Katharine Berkoff as she wins bronze in the women’s 100m backstroke final!” Tester wrote on X. “A huge congratulations to our hometown hero for making Montana and America proud in these Olympics.”

Berkoff told 406 Montana Sports what her performance in Paris meant to her.

“I’ve been training for this my whole life and I have more goals. I’m not satisfied yet but seriously so grateful to be here and to just get another medal for team USA,” Berkoff said. “It’s just been such an amazing experience here and I’m so grateful to be here.”