2025 U.S. World Trials Previews: Olympic Veterans Out in Full Force for Women’s 200 Back

2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, June 3 – Saturday, June 7, 2025
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Indiana University Natatorium
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• World Championship Selection Criteria

WOMEN’S 200 BACK: BY THE NUMBERS

• World Record: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS
• American Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith
• 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Winner: Regan Smith – 2:05.16
• World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 2:11.08

BATTLE OF THE OLYMPIANS

The women’s 200 back at the 2025 U.S. National Championships is gearing up to be chock-full of Olympians, with five Olympic medalists and six total Olympic competitors poised to take on the event.

As the American Record holder, Regan Smith leads the pack by a solid margin. She has come out on top at all of the major national competitions over the last few years, having won the 200 back at both the 2023 U.S. National Championships (2:03.80) and the 2024 Olympic Trials (2:05.16). The Olympic Games in Paris saw Smith secure silver in 2:04.26, just behind Australia’s Kaylee McKeown.

Smith has once again been dominating the national racing scene this season, posting a season-best time of 2:06.32 at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale to mark the fastest performance in the country thus far. Although it’s been several years since she set the American record (2:03.35) back in 2019, Smith has approached that time a number of times since then; she turned in a handful of 2:04s and two swims in the 2:03 range over the last two years.

With her winning history in the event, Smith remains the frontrunner to pick up the victory in the 200 back at Nationals next week.

Regan Smith Phoebe Bacon (photo: Jack Spitser)

Fellow 2024 Olympian Phoebe Bacon will also be one of the top contenders for the national title. After finishing 5th at Nationals in 2023 with a 2:06.59, Bacon was the runner-up at Olympic Trials last summer, qualifying for the Games in a season-best time of 2:06.27. She dropped that time even further in Paris, placing 4th in 2:05.61.

With a lifetime best time of 2:05.08, Bacon is the 3rd-fastest U.S. performer of all-time and had the 2nd-fastest time in the country last season. Coming off of a series of top performances at the NCAA Division I Championship in March, where she set new SCY best times in the 100 back (50.00) and 200 back (1:47.60), Bacon should be in good racing shape heading into Nationals despite only competing at one meet so far this LCM season. She posted a time of 2:09.19 at the ST TXLA Longhorn Aquatics meet in May, which ranks 7th among the top times in the U.S. this season.

Defending world champion Claire Curzan is sure to be fighting for a top spot. Curzan was 3rd at both the 2023 National Championships (2:07.73) and the 2024 Olympic Trials (2:06.34). Despite narrowly missing out on the Paris Games, she remains one of the top U.S. competitors in the 200 back; Curzan won the event at the 2024 World Championships in Doha, throwing down a lifetime best time of 2:05.77.

Her performance in Doha makes her the 5th-fastest American performer of all-time, and she has consistently ranked in the top five of top times each season since the 2021-2022 season. Just a few weeks ago, Curzan took 3rd at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim, turning in a time of 2:08.20 to narrowly beat out probable Nationals competitors like Rhyan White and Audrey Derivaux.

Rhyan White (photo: Jack Spitser)

Rhyan White is a veteran on the racing scene, having competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where she placed 4th in the 200 back in 2:06.39. Her two best performances since then both came at national championships; she threw down a lifetime best time of 2:05.13 at the 2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials and posted a season-best time of 2:05.77 at the 2023 U.S. National Championships, taking the runner-up spot at both meets.

White has not been under 2:07 since her performance at the 2023 Nationals. Last season, she posted a time of 2:07.38 at the Pro Swim Series in Westmont, and her season-best so far for 2025 is 2:08.83, which she recently posted at the Pro Swim Series in Sacramento. Although that time currently ranks 5th among the top times this season, it is a far cry from where she used to be, especially given that White’s performances have not come close to her best time in a few years.

Coming off of her debut college season at UVA, Katie Grimes is another Olympic medalist in the mix. While she never contested the 200 back at the Olympics, she did place 6th in a lifetime best 2:07.72 at Trials last summer. Grimes has been consistently improving her time each season, progressing from 2:09.52 in 2022 to her 2:07.72 in 2024, which marked the 6th-fastest time in the country last season. Grimes recently contested the event at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, where she finished 17th in 2:14.53, but if she can get back to that sub-2:10 range, then she should have a strong chance of qualifying for the top eight.

The last Olympian to consider in the mix is Katharine Berkoff. While Berkoff won bronze in the 100 back in Paris, the 200 back is not necessarily one of her main events. With that in mind, she could choose not to race it at Nationals, but it’s certainly worth taking a look at how she would stack up to the other competitors.

Berkoff used to race the 200 back pretty regularly, culminating in a lifetime best time of 2:09.76 at the 2020 Olympic Trials. Since then, she has only contested the event twice: once in 2023 (2:44.60) and again just recently at the 2025 Pro Swim Series in Westmont(2:12.19). Competing in Westmont, Berkoff placed 4th in the 200 back behind both Smith and White and landed herself at 14th on the ranking of top times this season. If she chooses to take on the event in Indianapolis, she should at least be a strong contender for the top 16, although making it into the top 8 could prove a bigger challenge.

RISING STARS

There are some new kids on the block looking to take the swimming world by storm next week.

Fifteen-year-old Audrey Derivaux has made huge strides in the 200 back over the last two years. Derivaux initially made a splash back in 2023, when she finished 25th at the U.S. National Championships (2:14.30) at just 13 years old. Since then, she has been almost continuously improving her time. Derivaux posted a sub-2:10 performance for the first time at Olympic Trials last summer, turning in a time of 2:09.80 to place 10th, before winning the 200 back in 2:09.61 at Futures just a month later.

Derivaux kicked off the 2025 long course season with a bang at Sectionals in March, throwing down a massive personal best time of 2:06.68 to win the event by almost 3.5 seconds. That is the 2nd-fastest time in the country this season, just .36 behind Smith’s performance in Fort Lauderdale, and even more notably, ranks 12th among the all-time top U.S. performers in the event. With Derivaux’s consistency in turning in top times, she could easily secure one of the top spots at Nationals.

Leah Shackley is coming off a tremendous debut college season at NC State, having set new SCY best times in both the 100 back (50.06) and 200 back (1:48.52). When it comes to LCM, Shackley’s top performances in the 200 back have been remarkably consistent. She posted a time of 2:08.42 at Sectionals in 2023, and a year later won the 200 back at Junior Pan Pacs in 2:08.19. At the 2025 NC MAC Charlotte Open in May, Shackley shaved another couple of hundredths off her time with a winning performance of 2:08.14.

While all of these season-best swims have been very consistent across the board, her races in between have been more up and down, primarily ranging from high-2:08 to mid-2:11. If Shackley can maintain her form from the Charlotte Open and turn in another low-2:08 performance or better, then she should be a strong contender for one of the top spots.

Charlotte Crush (photo: Jack Spitser)

Two-time defending NCSA champion Charlotte Crush will also be looking to solidify her name on the national scene. Crush first won the 200 back at NCSAs in 2023, setting her lifetime best time of 2:09.71 just after placing 22nd at the 2023 Nationals Championships (2:14.14). A year later, a similar sequence occurred: after placing 20th at the Olympic Trials last summer (2:12.17), Crush won the 200 back at NCSAs in a season-best time of 2:10.29. Crush seems to be in top form and on a slight upwards trajectory this season; she kicked off long course racing with a 2:10.07 at Sectionals in March and just posted a season-best time of 2:09.76 at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale. Currently ranked 8th in the country for this season, Crush could make a push to secure a spot in the final.

Ellie Clarke is a name to keep an eye on. At 15 years old, she has made a decent improvement from last season. Clarke shot up the national rankings for this season and could be pushing for more of a breakthrough at Nationals. She closed out last season with a best time of 2:11.93, the 23rd-fastest time in the country. Thanks to her performance at Sectionals in March, she now has a best time of 2:11.68 and the 13th-fastest time in the country so far this season, as well as being the #17 seed heading into the meet. While Clarke’s most recent swim saw her turn in a time of 2:14.38 in Fort Lauderdale, she could make a push for the top eight if she can lower her best time a bit more.

VETERAN POWER

Regularly a top competitor in the backstroke events, Kennedy Noble will be a familiar name in the 200 back at the 2025 National Championships. Noble posted her lifetime best time of 2:06.54 at Nationals back in 2023, placing 4th overall and landing her at 11th on the ranking of all-time top U.S. performers in the event. The fastest she has been since then was 2:07.52 at Olympic Trials last summer, where she took 4th once again.

A junior at NC State, Noble posted her SCY season-best (1:51.22) in the 200 back in November and has been a bit off her top times ever since. She kicked off the long course season at the Charlotte Open, where she secured the runner-up spot in 2:09.11, not far behind Shackley. Despite being slightly off her top performances over the last few months, Noble should be a formidable force at Nationals provided she can return closer to top form in time for the competition.

Isabelle Stadden (photo: Jack Spitser)

Isabelle Stadden will be back in action next week and could be right on the cusp of making it into the top eight. A frontrunner for the last couple seasons, Stadden tied for 6th-place with a time of 2:08.65 at the 2023 Nationals and took 7th in 2:08.77 at the 2024 Olympic Trials. While she holds a lifetime best time of 2:07.28 from back in 2021, the closest she has come to repeating that time was at Nationals in 2022 (2:07.29), with that being the last time Stadden was under 2:08. Coming off of the NCAA season, she raced the 200 back at the CA NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge just last weekend, where she turned in a time of 2:12.81. Stadden will certainly be a contender for the finals, but may really have to push to land in the top eight.

Krista Marlin will be looking to make a name for herself in this event. She did not race the 200 back at the 2023 National Championships, but she did take it on at Trials last summer, where she threw down a lifetime best time of 2:10.26 in prelims before finishing 13th (2:10.35). Marlin went on to lower her time even further just a month later, posting a time of 2:10.19 at Sectionals. Her top times make her a strong competitor looking to squeeze into the top eight, although she did not get the season off to a super fast start; Marlin turned in a time of 2:17.26 at the LE LESD Busbey Invitational in mid-May.

After finishing 18th at the 2023 Nationals, Tess Howley will be making a push for the top eight. Howley does not race the 200 back quite as often as the 100, but she has still been a consistent name at major competitions over the last few seasons. She turned in a time of 2:11.26 at Nationals two years ago, shortly after posting a new lifetime best (2:10.87) at the MAC Martha McKee Open in May 2023. Since then, she has been hovering around that 2:11 range, most recently posting a time of 2:11.60 at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale to place 9th. Howley is currently ranked 12th for top times this season, but she could see a bit of upwards mobility next week depending on how she fares against some of the younger swimmers.

Other Names to Consider

• Catie Choate placed 12th at the 2023 Nationals in a lifetime best time of 2:10.94, knocking almost 2.5 seconds off of her previous best. Last season saw her turn in two low 2:11 performances, as well as a 15th-place finish at Olympic Trials (2:11.57). Her times have not been quite as fast since then, placing 14th in Fort Lauderdale in 2:14.03, but Nationals could mark a return to form.
• JoJo Ramey is the #18 seed heading into the meet but placed 8th at Nationals two years ago (2:10.58). She holds a lifetime best time of 2:08.90 from the 2020 Olympic Trials, although she has not been that fast since then; she finished 18th at the 2024 Trials (2:11.95). Ramey most recently turned in a time of 2:12.56 in Fort Lauderdale, putting her even further from her 2023 Nationals’ performance, but she should still be a top contender to land in one of the finals heats.
• Sarah Rodrigues is another 2023 Nationals finalist, having placed 13th in 2:12.04. A year later, she posted a lifetime best time of 2:11.04 at the 2024 Olympic Trials to place 14th overall. Rodrigues has only raced the 200 back twice since then, falling off of her best time a bit and most recently posting a time of 2:14.22 in May. That performance only ranks 23rd among the top times this season, but Rodrigues is heading into the competition as the #13 seed. If she can get closer to her personal best again, then she could find herself much closer to the top eight.
• Maggie Wanezek turned in a strong performance at the ST TXLA Longhorn Aquatics meet to kick off long course racing. Wanezek was the runner-up in 2:10.95, just .82 off of her lifetime best (2:10.13) from the 2024 Olympic Trials. She placed 11th at Trials, a step-up from her 17th-place finish (2:10.68) at Nationals the year before and showed her progression over the seasons. Wanezek’s times tend to be less consistent, so it remains to be seen what kind of performance she will turn in at Nationals next week.

SwimSwam’s Picks

Dark Horse: Sadie Buckley – Fifteen-year-old Buckley has made significant improvements since last season. She knocked over a second from her lifetime best, dropping from a time of 2:11.35 at NCSAs last summer to a time of 2:10.16 at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale in May. Buckley’s performance also bumped her up the national rankings, going from 19th in the U.S. last season to 9th in the nation so far this season.