To see all of our 2019 Swammy Award winners, click here.
2019 WORLD JUNIOR FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: REGAN SMITH
The 2019 World Junior Female Swammy Award goes to the American Regan Smith. While 2019 saw many strong performances from several junior females, there is a clear winner for this award. Regan Smith‘s performance in 2019 included 2 individual World Records, a relay World Record, and a pair of World Championship gold medals in a limited run of appearances, leaving the swimming community in awe – and wanting more.
This award is given to a swimmer who, by 2019 year end is still 18-years old or younger, and who performed exceptionally well on both a junior and senior international level.
At the 2019 Cary Sectionals, Smith began her record-setting year by setting her first national age group record in the 17-18 year old category, hitting a time of 49.74 in the 100 back (SCY). The next day she raced to 1:47.16 American and U.S Open record in the 200 yard back, bettering Kathleen Baker‘s 2018 mark of 1:47.30.
Coming into 2019, Smith already held the LCM world junior record in the 100 back at a 58.83. Between May 19th and June 15th, she lowered that record three more times hitting times of 58.82, 58.55 and 58.45. Showing steady improvement in the discipline, Smith had set herself up nicely for a strong summer performance.
Smith (last year) was selected to race at the 2019 World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, making her 2nd World Championship roster after placing 8th in the 200 back in 2017. While Olivia Smoliga and Kathleen Baker took the two individual 100 backstroke spots, Smith was slated to swim the 200 back, along with Baker.
Nearly everyone reading this article will know exactly how 2019 World Champs went for Regan Smith, but if you need a refresher – here are the jot notes:
- 200 back prelims – 2:06.43 (World Junior Record)
- 200 back semifinal – 2:03.35 (World Record, previously Missy Franklin’s 2012 2:04.06)
- 200 back final – 2:03.69 (First world title at 17)
- 4×100 Medley Leadoff – 57.57 (World Record, previously Kathleen Baker‘s 2018 58.00)
- 4×100 Medley – Smith, King, Dahlie, Manuel – 3:50.40 (World Record, previously Baker, King, Dahlie, Manuel’s 2017 3:51.55)
To summarize, as 2019 comes to a close, Smith held the American and U.S Open Records in the 100 yard backstroke (Beata Nelson later broke them), and currently holds the American, World Junior Record, and World Records in the 100 long course meter back, 200 meter back, and is the leadoff leg for the American 4×100 medley World Record. At only 17, Smith has already ascended to the top of the swimming world. With an impressive resume already developing, the question remains – what’s next for Regan Smith?
The beauty of her 2019 breakout is that there is plenty of motivation to avoid the next-season letdown: the Olympics are coming, and while her 2019 performances were huge within the swimming space, the Olympic stage is where a swimmer captures the attention of the whole world.
Smith is the first American, male or female, to win this award.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
In no particular order
- Lani Pallister, Australia: Lani Pallister swam to a bronze medal finish at 2019 Aussie World Swimming Trials, setting a new Australian age group record at 16:08.09. Her performance at Aussie Trials granted her a spot on the World Juniors team where she completed a golden sweep of the distance events at World Juniors, setting a championship record in all three (4:05.42 / 8:22.49 / 15:58.86). She also took silver in the 200 free, just behind New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather. For her performance, Pallister was named female swimmer of the meet.
- Evgenia Chikunova, Russia: Chikunova had an absolutely stellar 2019, claiming her first Russian national title. Swimming a 2:22.67 Russian junior record, she edged out Maria Temnikova and Yuliya Efimova at Russian LC Nats, when Efimova was, incidentally, the defending World Champion. Chikunova won both the 100 and 200 breast at World Junior Champs. This already impressive performance is made even more astonishing after considering that Chikunova accomplished it at only 14 years old.
- Benedetta Pilato, Italy: Pilato became one of the youngest medalists ever at the World Championships this summer when she took silver in the 50 breaststroke. She paired that in December with a gold medal in the short course version of the event at the European Short Course Championships in a World Junior Record, as well as a World Junior Championships. No, the 50 breaststroke isn’t an Olympic event, and yes, she has a lot of work to do in a very crowded Italian women’s breaststroke group to even make the team in Tokyo, but to stand atop major international podiums at such a young age has to be noticed, regardless of the event.
Prior Winners:
- 2014 – Daria Ustinova, Russia
- 2015 – Viktoria Gunes, Turkey
- 2016 – Penny Oleksiak, Canada
- 2017 – Rikako Ikee, Japan
- 2018 – Taylor Ruck, Canada
- 2019 – Regan Smith, United States
how did baby shark not win this?
Should really have had the individual 100 back gold as well if not for the US’s selection process. That probably would have made her senior female swimmer of the year.
No Freya Anderson?!
She had a great year, and probably would’ve been next on this list. We could’ve continued marching through athletes until we turned blue in the face, but it takes a pretty exceptional circumstance for us to give more than 3 HMs in any award, and she was the next swimmer out, in our opinions.
What sayeth Andrew Mewing?
I still remember him questioning the wisdom of Reid Carlson and Robert Gibbs when they took Regan Smith early in the SwimSwam fantasy drafts in the Spring. He was tutting them for taking an upside swimmer over established names.
I say well done. The risk paid off. But I stand by that take as valid at the time I said it. She had a great year and a massive breakout, but that was never a guarantee. For every “next big thing” that pans out, there’s one that doesn’t. There are Missy Franklins and Dagny Knutsons. When you read old lists of Junior World Champions, there are plenty of future stars, but also plenty of swimmers who are never heard from again at an international level.
Maybe. But this is a fun fantasy game. It’s not your retirement fund or second mortgage. There is literally nothing to lose! What’s the worst that can happen? You finish last? Of course you’re more likely to wipe out. But fortune often favors the bold and mediocrity favors the meek. So Andrew I would like to congratulate you in advance on your 4th place finish! 😉
Whatever happened to Ustinova anyways
Team elite 😬
Beata Nelson beat Regans record in 100y bk at NCAA
Beata Nelson vs Regan Smith in SCY
49.18 vs 49.66
Beata Nelson vs Regan Smith in LCM
1.00.92 vs 57.57
Not the same sport
Hey Ben…Smith made her THIRD Sr Team in 2019. She swam at Worlds in Budapest in 2017 and at Pan Pacs in Tokyo in 2018 where she was the Bronze medalist in the 200 back. Might want to correct that above. Thx.
On another note, while it is great to see a picture of up & comer Torri Huske, where is she mentioned in the article?
Big talent. She will make the team for Tokyo next year in the 100 fly.
There was an article about her on the USA swimming website last week.
https://www.usaswimming.org/news-landing-page/2019/12/13/huske-is-excited-for-her-swimming-future