Regan Smith Reclaims 100 Backstroke World Record In Blazing 57.13

By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS

June 15-23, 2024
Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
LCM (50 Meters)
Session Start Times (ET):

11 a.m. Prelims
7:45 p.m. Finals (varying based on broadcast needs)

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After two years, Regan Smith has reclaimed the women’s 100 backstroke world record.

During finals and in front of a thunderous crowd, Smith emphatically punched her ticket to Paris, crushing a new world record of 57.13. She rewrote the record by a full two-tenths, erasing Kaylee McKeown‘s mark of 57.33. It’s also a new American, U.S. Open, and National Championship record.

“It was part of the plan,” Smith told the crowd. “I’m so proud of myself.”

Smith first claimed this world record leading off the women’s 4×100 medley relay at the 2019 World Championships — her breakout onto the international scene. There, she punched through the 58 second barrier for the first time in history, swimming 57.57.

Smith held the mark for two years until McKeown swam 57.45 at the 2021 Australian Olympic Trials. McKeown lowered her standard to 57.33 less than a year ago at the Budapest stop of the 2023 World Cup.

It took Smith nearly five years to surpass her 57.57 American record but she’s now done so three times this season.

First, she knocked six-hundredths off the mark at the NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge with less than a month to go before U.S. Olympic Trials. Then, in last night’s semifinal she lowered the mark to 57.47. “I’m really proud of [the American record]. I think I executed it really well and it’s fun to just chip away at my best time. And to do a best time twice in one season is awesome,” Smith said after the semifinal.

Split Comparison: 

2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS FINAL
2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS SEMIFINAL
2024 NOVA SPEEDO GRAND CHALLENGE
2019 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

50
27.94
28.02
28.11
27.74

100
29.19
29.45
29.40
29.83

57.13
57.47
57.51
57.57

When asked about the world record last night, Smith responded, “I’m .14 away from it so it’s all about details and Kaylee’s wonderful at executing everything perfectly and I think that’s where she gets those hundredths. So I’d like to work on doing the same.”

That’s exactly what she did tonight. Smith was out in 27.94, already .21 seconds ahead of McKeown’s pace. McKeown is known for her back half and that’s where Smith was able to show that she can nail her details: she picked up her tempo into the wall and clocked 29.19 on the back half of the race, only .01 seconds behind McKeown’s second 50 split on her former world record. Compared to her prior swims, it was a huge performance; she hadn’t been faster than 29.40 on the back half in any of her other record-breaking swims.

Smith now owns four times on the top ten performances list, with McKeown claiming the other six.

Top Ten 100 Back Performances All-Time (LCM)

Regan Smith, 57.13 — 2024 U.S. Trials – Final
Kaylee McKeown, 57.33 — 2023 World Cup, Budapest
Kaylee McKeown, 57.41 — 2024 Australian Trials
Kaylee McKeown, 57.45 — 2021 Australian Trials
Kaylee McKeown/Regan Smith, 57.47 — 2021 Olympics/2024 U.S Trials – Semifinal
—
Regan Smith, 57.51 — 2024 NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge
Kaylee McKeown, 57.53 — 2023 World Championships
Kaylee McKeown/Regan Smith, 57.57 — 2024 NSW State Championships/2019 World Championships
—

With this swim, Smith is officially a two-time Olympian. She still has the 200 backstroke and 200 fly to swim. She’s the American record holder in both events and is the favorite to qualify for Paris in those events as well.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Regan Smith Reclaims 100 Backstroke World Record In Blazing 57.13