Claire Curzan Rips 59.3 100m Back at TAC Titans LC Premier Meet

2021 TAC TITANS LONG COURSE PREMIER MEET

Starting off the last finals session of the TAC Titans LC Premier Meet in Cary tonight, 16-year-old Claire Curzan went well under the one-minute barrier in the 100 back, registering a new lifetime best of 59.37.

That’s a best by over six-tenths, erasing the 1:00.00 she swam at the 2019 World Junior Championships.

SPLITS

  • 28.74
  • 30.63

Curzan was out fast, but her back-half was what made more of a difference. When she went 1:00.00 to take silver at World Juniors, she was 28.87 going out and 31.13 coming home.

Previously ranked #7 all-time in the 15-16 age group with her old best, Curzan now jumps to #4 in the historical rankings.

U.S. GIRLS 100 BACK 15-16 TOP PERFORMERS

  1. Regan Smith – 58.83
  2. Phoebe Bacon – 59.02
  3. Missy Franklin – 59.18
  4. Claire Curzan – 59.37
  5. Isabelle Stadden – 59.71
  6. Rachel Bootsma – 59.77
  7. Elizabeth Pelton – 59.99
  8. Lucie Nordmann – 1:00.16

Looking at the top performers in U.S. history, Curzan shoots up to a tie at #12 with Amy Bilquist. Bilquist’s 59.37 is from the Olympic Trials final in 2016, where she placed third and just missed a spot on the Olympic team.

Curzan becomes the 22nd American woman to ever break a minute in this event, just a day after Rhyan White became the 21st to do so at the Pro Swim Series stop in Mission Viejo. She’s the ninth American woman to break a minute during the 2021 Olympic Trials qualifying period, which began on November 28, 2018, and she’s now ranked sixth amongst those names.

Curzan’s time moves her to #5 in the world this season.

2020-2021 LCM Women 100 Back

2Regan
Smith
USA57.6407/29
3Kylie
Masse
CAN57.7006/19
4Kathleen
Dawson
GBR58.0805/23
5Olivia
Smoliga
USA58.3105/15
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Pool
3 years ago

Video link?

NC Fan
Reply to  Pool
3 years ago

Fork over the dough to watch anything at TAC. Just make sure you know it’s non-refundable. Gotta pay Curzan’s fees somehow!

Swimgeek
3 years ago

Dude.

Philip Johnson
3 years ago

Wow seems like every couple of years, there’s a new up and coming star American female swimmer. Franklin, Ledecky, Smith, Curzan?

Swimfan
3 years ago

I would Love to see Kristin ottos record of 6 golds at one game gone for good

Dmswim
Reply to  Swimfan
3 years ago

Ledecky definitely has a shot at tying it.

Sapnu puas
3 years ago

The conveyor belt of American talent is INSANE

BDL Swim
3 years ago

Justin Ress also swam a 53.3 in the 100 back. That’s significant!

Pvdh
3 years ago

comment image

Anonymoose
Reply to  Pvdh
3 years ago

needs more pixeelllllllll

Honest Observer
3 years ago

These two are now legitimate threats in a wide range of events at Trials. Huske will likely swim the 50 and 100 free, 100 fly, and 200 IM in Omaha. Curzan will almost surely go with the 50 and 100 free, 100 fly, and 100 back. They’re now the obvious favorites in the 100 fly, but you can’t rule either of them out in any of those other events, either. They certainly have youth and resilience and momentum on their side.

Swimfan
Reply to  Honest Observer
3 years ago

Curzan win 5 golds this summer?

Pvdh
Reply to  Honest Observer
3 years ago

The power of youth you say

comment image

Virtus
Reply to  Pvdh
3 years ago

A man of culture

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Honest Observer
3 years ago

Six athletes typically qualify for the women’s 100 meter freestyle for the Summer Olympics Games.

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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