2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – SINGAPORE
- Thursday, October 31st – Saturday, November 2nd
- OCBC Aquatic Centre, Singapore
- Prelims at 9:30am local (9:30pm ET previous night)/Finals at 6:30pm local (6:30am ET)
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- Competition Schedule
- Entries Book
- Live Results
- Day 3 Finals Live Recap
In the latest salvo in the virtual World Record tug-of-war between American Regan Smith and Australian Kaylee McKeown, Smith finished her World Cup romp on Saturday with a 1:58.83, shaving .11 seconds off McKeown’s mark in the 200 meter backstroke.
The record is Smith’s third of this World Cup series after dropping the 100 back record in both Incheon last week and Singapore this week.
World Record Split Comparisons
| Regan Smith | Regan Smith | ||
| Previous PB | New WR | Previous WR | |
| 50m | 28.41 | 27.89 | 28.40 |
| 100m | 30.61 | 30.29 | 30.19 |
| 150m | 30.38 | 30.29 | 30.41 |
| 200m | 30.20 | 30.36 | 29.94 |
| 1:59.60 | 1:58.83 | 1:58.94 |
Smith opened up very fast in her new record-setting 200 and then was remarkably consistent through the remainder of the race, even-splitting the middle 50s of the swim.
This now gives Smith 4 World Records (100 back LCM, 400 medley relay LCM, 100 back SCM, and 200 back SCM) and reduces McKeown to just 2 (50 back LCM, 200 back LCM). Smith’s 4 records tie her for second-most globally among women with Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and Katie Ledecky. Australian Mollie O’Callaghan has the most with 6 current World Records: all in relays.
Of McKeown and Smith’s 5 combined backstroke World Records, none were set in head-to-head competition against each other.
Smith’s swim also broke the World Cup Record of 1:59.35 that was set by Ukrainian Daryna Zevina in Paris in 2016. It also broke Smith’s American Record of 1:59.60 from Incheon. Prior to that meet, Missy Franklin‘s American Record of 2:00.03 had stood since October 2011.
The swim earned her a $10,000 World Record bonus and an additional $10,000 ‘crowns’ bonus for winning the race at all three stops of this year’s series. She swam 2:00.42 in Shanghai.
All World Records Broken in the 2024 Swimming World Cup
- Noe Ponti, 50 fly – 21.50 (Singapore prelims)
- Noe Ponti, 50 fly – 21.67 (Incheon prelims)
- Leon Marchand, 200 IM – 1:48.88 (Singapore finals)
- Regan Smith, 100 back – 54.27 ((Singapore finals)
- Regan Smith, 100 back – 54.41 (Incheon finals)
- Regan Smith, 200 back – 1:58.83 (Singapore finals)
- Kate Douglass, 200 breast – 2:12.72 (Singapore finals)
- Kate Douglass, 200 breast – 2:14.16 (Incheon finals)
We are still having this debate because Regan was clearly the better backstroke at 17 (and racing against Kaylee). Unfortunately, Covid hurt Regan’s training more than it did Kaylee’s, and once Kaylee started beating Regan, it became a psychological battle as well as a physical one. The move to Bowman helped, but it was too late in the Olympic cycle and not enough time to make up for the years of mediocre training Regan had received in between, which Kaylee did not had to contend with. This is also why Regan is dropping still. Moreover, Regan should have never added 200 fly to her Olynpic races. It definitely hurt her backstroke performances in the Olympics. Anyway – they are both… Read more »
I find it interesting the amount of emphasis swim fans place on individual olympic gold medals. This is why the sport of swimming lags behind other sports.
Roger Federer, Messi, Ronaldo etc never won the olympics but they’re regarded as the best in their respective sports.
McKeown is a very good backstroker, but she didn’t set three world records in three weeks.
If anything,this olympics showed you don’t have to be fast to win an Olympic gold(see the men’s breaststroke). Regan can go through her entire career without an individual olympic gold, and still be in the conversation for the greatest backstroker in history if she keeps breaking records.
Tennis and Soccer don’t care about Olympic medals because the Olympics is not the highest achievement in that sport. A tennis Grand Slam and a Soccer World Cup are considered much more important than the Olympics, so it isn’t comparable. Also comparing a team sport, where the best player is not determined simply by whether their team wins, to an individual sport is nonsensical.
Also Roger Federer won 20 singles Grand Slams. When Regan Smith wins 20 individual LCM World Championship gold medals then you might have a case. She currently has 2. Talk to me when she wins 18 more.
I know you’re a troll and I know you’re going to keep trolling no matter what but I’m going to pretend you’re being sincere and address these actual points.
1. Federer, Messi and Ronaldo play sports where the Olympics isn’t the pinnacle. Federer was tennis player of the year 5 times, Ronaldo was player of the year 5 times and Messi 7 times, which means a lot more than an Olympic medal. Regan has been swimmer of the year once. Only once has she been ranked #1 in both Olympic backstroke events, in 2019. McKeown has been ranked #1 in both Olympic backstroke events 3 times: 2020, 2021 and 2023. Egerszegi was ranked #1 in both Olympic backstroke events for… Read more »
These McKeown groupies are so unreasonable so I’ll leave you be. Talk to me when McKeown gathers enough courage to swim again.
Smith’s achievements are absolutely spectacular and actually help bolster Kaylee’s achievements – who else has been able to double double at the Olympics against a fellow GOAT talent?
Smith is an incredible athlete and has achieved some incredible things. But Swimdad seems to be actively trying to turn people against her by having such bad takes.
Pound for pound, on a talent level, I think she is better than Missy and Coughlin because she has more range – she’s better at the 100 than Missy and better at the 200 than Natalie.
So on a talent level she’s there with Kaylee and Egerszegi. But she doesn’t have the hardware.
But her lack of Olympic gold doesn’t diminish her brilliance. And as mentioned it also elevates Kaylee – cos Kaylee was able to beat peak Reagan, arguably the 3rd greatest backstroker in history, at successive Olympics.
Missy, Natalie and Egerszegi never faced anyone as good as Smith.
I really appreciate SwimDad’s commitment to his troll craft. The language is less incendiary to appear more balanced. Why you would want to do this I have no idea, but it’s fun to watch.
It’s quite remarkable that he’s so certain he’s right despite receiving dozens of downvotes and maybe 1 or 2 upvotes (probably from himself) on each post. At this point I find it alarming how obsessed with Kaylee and Regan he is. Without fail he comes out of the woodwork on every article about them, but comments on little else. It’s bizarre behavior
He’s obviously trying to get a reaction. But if you just respond with facts then that can’t be fun for him.
But the facts so clearly prove him wrong that there’s not even any need to get passionate. Just list some objective facts and he falls apart immediately.
what a great way to show you know nothing about swimming.
I haven’t really been following the world cups because I lost interest once Kaylee withdrew but Regan has been doing incredibly well. A great effort from her.
It seems like it’s basically only Swimdad who thinks an SCM record outranks multiple Olympic golds, but just to throw some facts out there:
Kaylee and Regan have both broken 6 individual world records. Kaylee has 4 LCM and 2 SCM, Regan has 3 LCM and 3 SCM. Kaylee has broken every WR that Regan has, but also has one in an additional event.
Kaylee broke the 100 SCM WR after a long break and being back in the pool for a couple of weeks. I think anyone thinking logically would recognise that… Read more »
a very true statement indeed, no matter how many times people downvote this comment. You can’t be the greatest if you haven’t won on the biggest stage
Without the assistance of Google, Wikipedia, or any other online information source, please inform me how many world championships – long course and short course – Michael Phelps won. Now, tell me how many Olympic gold medals Michale Phelps won.
When it comes down to it, true greatness in swimming begins – and ends – in individual Olympic gold medals, whether you want to agree or disagree. Not in world championships. Not in world records. Not in world cup victories.
What Regan Smith is accomplishing now in short course is what Kaylee McKeown already achieved, is it not? There is nothing historic about it. And it’s certainly not GOAT-ish. And for Smith to even stand side by side with McKeown… Read more »
People can downvote this comment all they want, but it’s true. Regan is yet to prove she is Kaylee’s equal or even claim to be the goat
This 100%.
The hate towards Regan by swimswam commenters is borderline pathetic. 22 yr old OLYMPIC champion, multiple world records and on her way to become the GOAT of women backstroke. Every world record she breaks probably breaks the heart of her haters.
I can’t wait for the world championships against McKeown…oops. McKeown won’t be there.
There is no hate. She is an amazing swimmer. People just disagree with your biased take.
Yeah all I see is praise for Regan in this thread. People are just sick of swimdad’s terrible, rude takes and he can’t handle it
Regan is having a remarkably good year.
I couldn’t care less at this point trying to decide whether Regan or Kaylee is the “backstroke Goat”. As it’s going right now, they’re both going to push each other and take these records down to unfathomable times for the rest of the world, and watching them is a luxury.
they both push each other to incredible new heights, but Kaylee is clearly the backstroke goat. 4 individual Olympic golds over any world records any day of the week.
Wow, so the overall point table really came down to the wire. Regan came into Singapore leading by 0.1 points over Kate, but scored 0.2 fewer here (60.0 vs 60.2), so Kate wins overall by 0.1