2025 SWIMMING WORLD CUP – CARMEL
- October 10-12, 2025
- Carmel, Indiana
- SCM (25 meters)
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The final day of action at the 2025 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Carmel, Indiana, brought the main event of the women’s 200m backstroke.
Aussie Olympic multi-champion Kaylee McKeown roared to the wall first in a time of 1:58.86, hitting the sole time of the field under the 2:00 barrier.
American Olympic medalist Regan Smith was next to the wall in 2:00.07, with teammate Charlottee Crush rounding out the pack in 2:02.28.
McKeown opened in 58.40 and closed in 1:00.46 to establish her dominance over the field tonight. Her result represented a big-time personal best, erasing the 1:59.26 she notched at the 2022 Short Course World Championships.
McKeown’s time this evening now renders the Aussie as the #2 performer of all time in this event. Only Smith has been faster, owning the current world record of 1:58.04 from the 2024 Short Course World Championships.
The Aussie’s time not only established a new national record but she also clocked a new Oceanian record with tonight’s outing.
Why is the 200 back always scheduled late in the international meet lineups?
Regan needs to return just to swimming backstroke races and focus almost exclusively on them, increase her backstroke endurance and improve her race strategy. She is focusing more on 200 fly which helps with endurance, too, but not for backstroke mid distance. And if the 200 will always be scheduled later in the meet, then it will continue hurting her performance. She will always feel tired and winded for that race. I don’t see Kos making that mistake. Time to change some things. My two cents.
Hence why u are poor
In long course she hasn’t been anywhere near winning the 200 since 2019. It’s not like she gets out touched. I don’t think the 200 fly would make a difference.
You may be right. I think she may not focus on the 200 back enough.
Wow I didn’t expect the gap to be tremendous between Regan and Kaylee in the 200 back short course considering how close they are in long course
Yesss
I expected Regan to be faster considering her big PB in the 200 fly.
Nice surprise to see Kaylee with a PB. She dropped time in every event at every stop the last time she did world cups so I’m hoping she can do the same here
Great job by Kaylee, Charlotte was remarkable as well and will be interesting to see where she is in 2028
Charlotte Crush will be in 2028 LA. Mark my words.
The Queen. Also, her PB was 1.58.94 set in 2020 which was the WR at the time, not 1.59.26 from 2022.