Regan Smith on Breaking 50 Back World Record: “I didn’t think I was capable of 25.2”

2024 SC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Regan Smith surprised herself on night 3 of the 2024 Short Course World Championships when she not only won the 50 back, but broke Maggie MacNeil‘s world record in the event, clocking 25.23. Smith said she didn’t hit her turn at the 25m wall so she wasn’t optimistic heading into the finish but it was a very, very pleasant surprise when she saw the result.

In This Story

12
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

12 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Viking Steve
1 day ago

Happy swimmer, fast swimmer. Great to see how self-actualized she has become!

jeff
2 days ago

really makes me wonder what she could go in SCY now. I feel like 22.5, 48.3, 1:45 high are all reasonable

Last edited 2 days ago by jeff
ArtVanDeLegh10
Reply to  jeff
1 day ago

SCM to SCY are pretty accurate. You could just convert her times.

Swimor
2 days ago

Wasn’t there another good backstroker or has Regan just taken over

NotHimAgain
Reply to  Swimor
1 day ago

No. Only Yanks are good at backstroke, and all the other swimming strokes, for that matter. Competitors from all the other countries compete purely and solely to remind everyone how great American swimmers are.

comment image

lillis
2 days ago

good for regan, but i just saw that sjostrom is taking some time off from swimming 2025.. 🙁

Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
Reply to  lillis
2 days ago

What does Sarah Sjostrom have to do with the backstroke?

Helk bengur
Reply to  lillis
2 days ago

Where?

BingBopBam
2 days ago

Tbh I didn’t think she’d break it either, that MacNeil record was powerful

Walsh-Madden-Grimes-Weinstein
Reply to  BingBopBam
1 day ago

comment image

Morning in America Again
2 days ago

Way to go Regan!

In your co-interview with Kate Douglass last week, you mentioned to the host that you sometimes give your medals away to deserving people (often volunteers working at the meets).

I think it would be wonderful if you’d give a first place medal to that interviewer.

Then he would be known as:

“GOLD MEDAL COLE.” (Deservedly so.)

That would make his year!

Reply to  Morning in America Again
2 days ago

This gave me a good chuckle

About Aglaia Pezzato

Aglaia Pezzato

Cresce a Padova e dintorni dove inizialmente porta avanti le sue due passioni, la danza classica e il nuoto, preferendo poi quest’ultimo. Azzurrina dal 2007 al 2010 rappresenta l’Italia con la nazionale giovanile in diverse manifestazioni internazionali fino allo stop forzato per due delicati interventi chirurgici. 2014 Nel 2014 fa il suo esordio …

Read More »