Regan Smith Breaks McKeown’s Olympic Record With 57.28 100 Backstroke Lead-Off

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

WOMEN’S 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – FINALS

  • World Record: 3:50.40 – USA (2019)
  • Olympic Record: 3:51.60 – AUS (2021)
  • 2021 Winning Time: 3:51.60 – AUS
  • 2021 Time to Win Bronze: 3:52.60

Podium

  1. USA – 3:49.63 ***NEW WORLD RECORD***
  2. Australia – 3:53.11
  3. China – 3:53.23
  4. Canada – 3:53.91
  5. Japan – 3:56.17
  6. France – 3:56.29
  7. Sweden – 3:56.92
  8. Netherlands – 3:59.52

Regan Smith led the US women’s 4×100 medley relay off in a new Olympic Record splitting a 57.28 on the lead-off leg. That broke Kaylee McKeown’s previous Olympic Record of a 57.33 that McKeown swam earlier this week to win gold in the individual women’s 100 back.

Smith swam a 57.66 for silver in the individual event but was faster tonight and would have won gold a few days ago with her time from tonight. Smith is the World Record holder in the event with a 57.13 from 2024 US Olympic Trials.

Smith- Paris (New Olympic Record) McKeown- PARIS (Old Olympic Record) Smith- US Trials (World Record)
50 27.84 28.08 27.94
100 29.44 29.25 29.19
57.28 57.33 57.13

Smith was out faster tonight than she was compared to McKeown’s Olympic Record as well as her own World Record. She faded slightly on the 2nd 50 but was able to get the Olympic Record.

With her swim today, Smith earned her 2nd gold medal in her career. That also marks 2 golds in the last 24 hours as she helped the US mixed 4×100 medley relay to gold swimming the backstroke leg during prelims.

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IRO
3 months ago

I hope Regan takes a well deserved break and then gets back at it. She’s done an incredible job this week, but there’s a 56-second 100 back in her, I know it!

saltie
3 months ago

Regan is the faster swimmer, Kaylee is the better racer. And unfortunately for us Americans, the Olympics are about winning

AQWAMN
3 months ago

Regan is great and Kaylee is great… Reagan seemed to have massive extra energy tonight at the end. She raced tough races and so did Kaylee.. Ironically, Reagan could be like Summer.. The 100 fly is within her range and possibly a 200 IM but breast has to be improved. Nobody’s saying she is going to win all these races… If Reagan keeps swimming she will win multiple individual Olympic gold medals.. Even Kaylee’s IM was pretty good, not her best time but was in the race for 150 meters..

JVW
Reply to  AQWAMN
3 months ago

I really want to see Regan, who swims both the 200 fly and 200 back quite well, do a 200 free tapered. The U.S. needs four women who can pull at 1:54 split on an 800 free relay. This year they only had Claire Weinstein’s excellent lead-off leg of 1:54.88 and Katie Ledecky’s 1:54.93 on the third leg. I’m not sure we can count on Katie to continue swimming 1:54 four years from now.

I also want to see Kate Douglass swim a tapered 200 free, since she has shown she can excel in the 200 IM and 200 breast. I would think that she could also be a 1:54 or even 1:53.

Troyy
Reply to  JVW
3 months ago

Douglass has said she doesn’t intend to swim the 200 free. The US’ has a good chance to win the 4×2 next year because Titmus is having an extended break. She hasn’t said how long the break will be but presumably it rules her out of Worlds next year.

Swimz
Reply to  JVW
3 months ago

And, weinstien, Huske, Smith, Sims would be a hypothetical dream team. Huske is a racer and current 3rd fastest 200IM er in USA..Smith has that 200 speed..

Troyy
3 months ago

So I guess Regan’s mental problems aren’t entirely resolved. 🧐

Steve Nolan
Reply to  Troyy
3 months ago

Someone out here writing “mental problems” still

Last edited 3 months ago by Steve Nolan
U turn
3 months ago

Kaylee has proven so many times she is better then Regan when it comes to racing individual events. Nothing to be ashamed of for Regan as Kaylee is the greatest ever.

Arg
Reply to  U turn
3 months ago

Reagan has gone faster than Kaylee’s PB twice in the 100, including once directly against her. Kaylee definitely had a better meet in the individual events but this comment is just nonsense.

Greeny
Reply to  Arg
3 months ago

What matters is who swim best race in the finals in last 3 years Kaylee beaten Smith 6 from 6 in finals in 3 Olympic finals and 3 in WC in 2023 .

Last edited 3 months ago by Greeny
Thomas The Tank Engine
Reply to  Arg
3 months ago

“Kaylee definitely had a better meet in the individual events but this comment is just nonsense.”

This is literally non sense.

Kaylee is double double Olympic Champion, the ONLY female backstroker ever to accomplish a feat.

Kaylee is World LC champion in 50, 100, 200 back.

Kaylee is World SC champion in 100, 200 back.

Kaylee holds 50 and 200 back LC WR and 200 back SC WR

Kaylee is undefeated in individual 100 and 200 back races since 2019.

Regan Smith has NEVER BEATEN Kaylee in individual 100 200 back races since 2019.

But, you’re reducing her to “Kaylee definitely had a better meet in the individual events”

Swimz
Reply to  Thomas The Tank Engine
3 months ago

Leading off the relay also a kind of a racing..Smith always won that over Kylee

Robbos
Reply to  Swimz
3 months ago

Cate Campbell always beat Simone Manuel in the relay, but Simone has a Olympic 100 free gold & Cate does not.
Likewise with Kaylee & Reagan,

Swimswam follower
Reply to  U turn
3 months ago

But guess who has the Olympic record?

Greeny
Reply to  Swimswam follower
3 months ago

guess who won the double double and clean swept world championships

Yozhik
Reply to  U turn
3 months ago

Regan set her first world record in 100m event swimming relay.
Regan set current Olympic record in 100m event swimming relay.
Regan set current world record swimming at trials.
She needs to borrow some racing calmness and confidence from Kate Douglass and nobody will beat her in individual race.

Yes, Kaylee is a great racer but it isn’t the only factor to be qualified for the greatest ever. But I do share your opinion that she is the best swimmer in Australian team.

Thomas The Tank Engine
Reply to  Yozhik
3 months ago

Kaylee is double double Olympic Champion, the ONLY female backstroker ever to accomplish a feat.

Kaylee is World LC champion in 50, 100, 200 back.

Kaylee is World SC champion in 100, 200 back.

Kaylee holds 50 and 200 back LC WR (and held 100 back LC WR until this year) and 200 back SC WR

Kaylee is undefeated in individual 100 and 200 back races since 2019.

Regan Smith has NEVER BEATEN Kaylee in individual 100 200 back races since 2019.

Regan Smith has TRIED EVERYTHING.

She is coached by Bob Bowman for a full two years. The same coach that produced Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt, Leon Marchand, Hubert Kos, etc

She still can’t beat Kaylee in… Read more »

Robbos
Reply to  Yozhik
3 months ago

Double Double!!!!

NB Swimmer
Reply to  U turn
3 months ago

Not everyone can be a relay swimmer.

NoFlyKick
Reply to  U turn
3 months ago

Kaylee certainly has gotten the better of Regan in head-to-head races, but the “greatest ever” title in backstroke belongs to Krisztina Egerszegi. Several other women can make a better claim to “greatest female swimmer ever”.

Greeny
Reply to  NoFlyKick
3 months ago

Double- Double plus clean sweep of WC is unparralled

Barty’s Bakery
Reply to  NoFlyKick
3 months ago

Nah, Kaylee has clearly overtaken KE. Only ever double double, tied for backstroke golds at the Olympics, Kaylee has more world records and more world champs titles

JVW
Reply to  Barty’s Bakery
3 months ago

Krisztina Egerszegi had to swim against a doped-up Kristin Otto in 1988, or else she would also have swept the backstrokes in consecutive Olympics. Or, to put it more bluntly, Kaylee didn’t have to swim against steroid-enchanced East Germans.

And your comparison of World Championships is unfair, given that there are now two of them in-between each Olympics when back in Egerszegi’s day they was only one held in the even year between Olympics.

Maybe if Kaylee wins a gold medal in backstroke in Los Angeles, we can at least give her consideration as the best. But for now, it’s still Krisztina Egerszegi.

Parker
3 months ago

I’m having difficulty regarding the link that you’re providing us for results. When I go to the results page or even just the event page, it then prompts me to download a link and it’s only showing us who the top three medalists are? Is there not a way to find a regular format with the top eight finishers and what their splits were? Because we can’t even see from any of the pages so far what the splits were for the women’s 400 medley relay?

TIA

Grump
3 months ago

GOod Job Regan!!

Ivymom
3 months ago

I actually cried. Smith seemed disappointed after her 1 back silver but this swim erased that! Amazing last swim for Lilly king. Fastest split ever for g Walsh. Tori I mean what a final swim for a dream meet. I am so happy for all of them. What a way to end!!!

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 European Championships …

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