Ultra Swim Swimmer of the Month is a recurring SwimSwam feature shedding light on a U.S.-based swimmer who has proven themselves over the past month. As with any item of recognition, Swimmer of the Month is a subjective exercise meant to highlight one athlete whose work holds noteworthy context – perhaps a swimmer who was visibly outperforming other swimmers over the month, or one whose accomplishments slipped through the cracks among other high-profile swims. If your favorite athlete wasn’t selected, feel free to respectfully recognize them in our comment section.
It’s been an electric month of October for Regan Smith, as the American superstar has tackled short course meters for the first time in seven years during the 2024 World Cup circuit in Asia.
Through the first two legs of the series in Shanghai and Incheon, plus the first night of racing in Singapore, Smith has won seven events, breaking a world record and lowering a 13-year-old American Record in the process.
Coming off a five-medal haul at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Smith returned to competition at the first stop of the series in Shanghai, going head-to-head with Australian rival Kaylee McKeown on the opening day of racing in the women’s 50 backstroke.
McKeown emerged with the victory, clocking 25.36 to move to #2 all-time in the event, while Smith was the runner-up in 25.70.
From there, Smith went on a run, winning the 200 fly later in the session to move to #5 all-time in the event, narrowly missing the American Record in a time of 2:01.85, and followed up by winning the 100 and 200 back over the next two days, with McKeown withdrawing from the series after Day 1.
In the 100 back, Smith clocked 54.89 to match Gretchen Walsh‘s newly-minted American Record and tie for #2 all-time in the event, and in the 200 back, her time of 2:00.42 ranked her #9 all-time.
One week later in Incheon, Smith broke the first SCM world record of her career in the 100 back, clocking 54.41 to break Kaylee McKeown‘s month-old mark of 54.56.
Smith then became the sixth swimmer in history to break 2:00 in the 200 back, lowering Missy Franklin‘s American Record of 2:00.03 from 2011, and added a win in the 50 back (25.71) and was the runner-up in the 200 fly (2:03.21).
On Day 1 of the series finale in Singapore, Smith won the 50 back for the second time in a personal best time of 25.48, ranking her #4 all-time.
SMITH’S WORLD CUP SCM BEST TIMES (THROUGH 10/31)
- 50 backstroke – 25.48 (#4 all-time)
- 100 backstroke – 54.41 (world record)
- 200 backstroke – 1:59.60 (#6 all-time, American Record)
- 100 butterfly – 57.56 (prelim in Shanghai, scratched final)
- 200 butterfly – 2:01.85 (#5 all-time)
Smith opted out of racing the 200 fly on Thursday, but is entered to swim the 100 and 200 back (and the 100 fly) over the next two days, where she’ll have a chance at earning a pair of Triple Crown bonuses.
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