FLASH! Regan Smith Takes Down 200m Backstroke World Record
Regan Smith made it two world records in as many days as she lowered the 200 back standard to 1:58.83 at the World Cup in Singapore.
The USA swimmer was inside WR pace throughout as she touched the wall 0.11 faster than the 1:58.94 standard held by Kaylee McKeown since November 2020.
It was a gutsy final 25 by the American who went 15.06 to McKeown’s 14.77 and came 24 hours after she lowered her own 100 back mark to 54.27.
Anastasiya Shkurdai was second in 2:01.63 with Iona Anderson third in 2:01.98.
Smith splits: 27.89/58.18/1:28.47/1:58.83
McKeown splits: 28.40/58.59/1:29.00/1:58.94
Smith said: “Feels good. I knew that I’d have to break the world record if I wanted to pass Kate in the overall rankings, and I couldn’t quite do it. I’m a 10th of a point behind her. But we have been having so much fun over the course of these three stops, pushing each other. So it’s been a blast. This is a World Cup, it is so much fun, and I want to keep doing it in future years.”
Looking to the World Short-Course Championships in Budapest next month, she added: “I want to go to the short-course worlds and have just as much fun as I had here. I think life is too short to take stuff like this so seriously. I’ve been having so much fun, and that’s what swimming should be. And so I think my goal at short course worlds is to swim fast and enjoy it.”
