16-year-old Regan Smith Sets 200 Back World Junior Record in 2:06.43

2018 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Riptide Aquatics’ Regan Smith continued her stellar streak Thursday night at the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships, setting a new world junior record in the 200 back.

Smith, 16, split 29.80/31.91/32.13/32.59 for a final time of 2:06.43. Smith tied Kathleen Baker for the win in the event, making an insane push in the final 15 meters to come back on Baker, who split 29.53/31.93/32.21/32.76. She overtakes Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, whose previous world junior record of 2:06.76 was set at the 2017 FINA World Championships last year.

However, FINA only began recognizing world junior records in 2014. Therefore, Missy Franklin‘s American national age group record of 2:05.10, set in 2011, still stands. American Elizabeth Beisel is also still higher in the age group ranks (2:06.39). Smith is the No. 7 American performer of all-time.

Top performers:  US Girls 15-16 200 back
1 Missy Franklin 2:05.10
2 Elizabeth Beisel 2:06.39
3 Regan Smith 2:06.43
4 Elizabeth Pelton 2:07.48
5 Isabelle Stadden 2:08.37
6 Janie Wagstaff 2:09.09
7 Lucie Nordmann 2:09.40
8 Eva Merrell 2:09.54
9 Kylie Stewart 2:09.99
10 Kathleen Baker 2:10.23

The pair is now tied for No. 3 in the world this year.

2017-2018 LCM WOMEN 200 BACK

KylieCAN
MASSE
04/08
2.05.98
2Kathleen
BAKER
USA2.06.1408/12
3Margherita
PANZIERA
ITA2.06.1808/09
4Taylor
RUCK
CAN2.06.3603/02
5Regan
Smith
USA2:06.43*WJR07/26
View Top 26»

 

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Swimmerj
6 years ago

Ladies and gentlemen grab your popcorn for the Regan Taylor Kylie Kathleen battle at pan pacs because it is going to be bloody

Swimmerj
6 years ago

Literally my two favorite swimmers

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
6 years ago

That race was DiRado/Hosszu-esque especially the last 25 m from the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Baker-King-Worrell-Manuel
6 years ago

Never underestimate the youth of the Riptide Rocket!

Hint of Lime
6 years ago

Big ascension for Kathleen to look back and see her at “just” 2:10 as a 15-16 year old!

DragonSwim
6 years ago

I thought that Taylor Ruck has the WJR in the 200 back from her swim at the Atlanta PSS. She went a 2:06.36 there. SwimSwam published an article about Ruck’s swims that night (March 2nd, 2018) and claim she got the WJR.

Love to Swim
Reply to  DragonSwim
6 years ago

Swimswam made mistake. In order to be eligible for WJR, you have to be no older than 17 yo for girls and 18 for boys by December 31 of the year. Ruck turns 18 this year.

GUyswimmin
6 years ago

Doesn’t Taylor have it? Or was she to old when she did her 2:06.3

Boknows34
Reply to  GUyswimmin
6 years ago

Ruck was 17 at the time but as her 18th birthday was this year, anyone born in 2000 are ineligible for WJRs in 2018. Regan (2002) has until the end of 2019 to set WJRs. Male juniors can be a year older to set WJRs.

To summarise, the Year of Birth is what we’re looking at for junior records. Currently it’s 2001 for girls and 2000 for the boys.

Double Arm Freestyle
6 years ago

when u get the wjr but are still third in ur age group

About Torrey Hart

Torrey Hart

Torrey is from Oakland, CA, and majored in media studies and American studies at Claremont McKenna College, where she swam distance freestyle for the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps team. Outside of SwimSwam, she has bylines at Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, SB Nation, and The Student Life newspaper.

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