2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, December 13 to Sunday, December 18, 2022
- Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, Melbourne, Australia
- SCM (25m)
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Claire Curzan continues to put up impressive performances with every swim, as the 18-year-old just clocked a new American Record in tonight’s 50m backstroke.
En route to capturing the top seed in the semi-final, Curzan produced a time of 25.60. That erased the previous national standard of 25.74 Olympian Olivia Smoliga put on the books during the 2020 International Swimming League (ISL) season.
This evening, Curzan’s new lifetime best of 25.60 landed her lane 4 for the final ahead of Canada’s Maggie MacNeil and Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan. MacNeil posted a time of 25.64 while O’Callaghan will also flank Curzan after logging 25.69.
Curzan has been untested in the short course meters version of the 50 back but she already made some noise in the heats with a new PB of 26.07. That performance already slid into the all-time American performances list in slot #13 before she sliced and diced that down to the new American Record of 25.60 this evening.
She now joins Smoliga and Katherine Berkhhoff as the only American women ever to have delved under the 26-second barrier in the event.
With the final yet to come, Curzan now inserts herself into the list of all-time performers worldwide, tying the Netherlands’Â Kira Toussaint as #2 only behind World Record holder MacNeil.
All-Time Women’s SCM 50 Backstroke Performers
#1 Maggie MacNeil (CAN) – 25.27 2021
#2 Kira Toussaint (NED) &Â Claire Curzan (USA) – 25.60 2020/2022
#4 Kylie Masse (CAN) – 25.62 2021
#5 Etiene Medeiros (BRA) – 25.67 2014
Curzan was a wrecking ball at the 2021 edition of the Short Course World Championships, wrangling up a massive haul of 7 medals. Among those were individual bronze medals in the 50m fly and 100m fly, whereas she did not race the 50m back in Abu Dhabi.
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She seems to be making the transition from being a pure butterflier into being more of a pure backstroker. Wouldn’t be surprised to see her win the 50 Back tmmr night, and at NCAA’s, swim the 100/200 BK; 100 FL.
She’s got three great strokes so not a pure anyhing.
Mollie 0.02 from #5! Hope she at least hits that tomorrow night!
Claire is consistently performing really well, despite just starting college, moving away etc. She puts up top times when called on and shows her versatility.. Wonder what she’ll focus on for trials?
Claire is actually having a great meet. An individual gold would put her up there in the MVP rankings