Claire Curzan Swims Lifetime Bests in 100 Fly (50.03) and 100 Back (51.01)

TAC Titans Intrasquad Time Trial

  • July 17-19, 2020
  • Triangle Aquatic Center, Cary, North Carolina
  • 25y (SCY) pool
  • Live Stream
  • Results on Meet Mobile: “TAC TITANS July Intrasquad Meet”

16-year old Claire Curzan has backed up her new personal best of 21.51 in the 50 free on Friday with another new best swim in the 100 fly on Saturday.

Swimming in a heat with 7 males, Curzan posted a 50.03 in the event on Saturday evening in the Triangle Aquatic Center pool. That improved her best time of 50.35 that she swam at the North Carolina High School State Championships in early February.

At just 16-years old, this now makes her the 7th-best performer in the history of the event, just one spot behind 12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin.

All-Time Top Performers, Women’s 100 Yard Butterfly

  1. (TIE) Louise Hansson, 2019/Maggie MacNeil, 2019 – 49.26
  2. Erika Brown, 2020 – 49.38
  3. Kelsi Dahlia (Worrell), 2016 – 49.43
  4. Katie McLaughlin, 2019 – 49.97
  5. Natalie Coughlin, 2002 – 50.01
  6. Claire Curzan, 2020 – 50.03
  7. Farida Osman, 2017 – 50.05
  8. Rachel Komisark, 2007 – 50.10
  9. Olivia Bray, 2019 – 50.19

Her old best time of 50.35 in the 100 fly is the National Age Group Record in the event. There has still been no confirmation from USA Swimming as to whether these swims will be accepted as National Age Group Records after she also swam under her 15-16 National Age Group Record in the 50 free on Friday. While the meet is sanctioned, USA Swimming has said that they won’t accept times for qualifications beyond the LSC level, though there’s still an open question about what will happen with National Age Group Records swum during this period.

There is a further question about the swim and its eligibility for records because it was raced in a co-ed heat.

She was the second-best finisher in total, behind only 17-year old Russell Exum. Exum swam 49.56, which was better than his previous best time of 49.74, which like Curzan’s was done at the North Carolina HS State Championship meet. Exum is a yet-uncommitted (publicly) rising high school senior.

Curzan also raced to a best time in the women’s 100 back on Saturday evening, swimming 51.01. That swim came after her 100 fly. Her previous best time in the 100 back was 51.23 from a Sectionals meet in March of 2019.

Curzan is scheduled to swim the 100 free and 200 fly on Sunday.

Other Top Finishers on Friday Evening

  • 16-year old Lance Norris swam a best time to top the boys’ 200 free in 1:40.07. That knocked almost four-tenths of a second off his previous fastest swim. He was in a dead heat with Braeden Haughey (1:40.31) at the halfway mark before a big third 50 pulled Norris away. Norris has 4 lifetime bests in 4 swims so far at this meet, including a 4:24.19 in the 500 free, 1:50.81 in the 200 IM, and 49.69 in the 100 back. That 100 back swim, also on Saturday, was the fastest in the field.
  • 28-year old Colombian Jorge Murillo, a 2016 Olympian, topped the 100 breaststroke in 53.23. While most of his focus of racing in his recent career has been in long course, that time is just .02 seconds away from his lifetime best. The top junior finisher in that event was Michael Cotter in 57.27, which exactly matched his best time.
  • 15-year old Samantha Armand was the top female finisher in the 100 breaststroke, swimming 1:05.62.

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Isabelle Fraser
3 years ago

It seems that after saying Claire’s swims would not count, the powers that be at USA Swimming are thinking it over. So we shall see what happens,

Coach Mike 1952
3 years ago

Any video please?

NCSwimFan
Reply to  Coach Mike 1952
3 years ago

TAC was livestreaming all sessions on their youtube chanel. She swam in sessions 1 (50 Free) , 4 (100 fly and 100 back) and 7 (100 free and 200 fly). https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOZGHHPtF99blw73s1ryfTA

swimfan210_
3 years ago

100 free went out in 22.41, went 47.23 and won the heat (it was the penultimate heat.) Her first heat win this meet!

swimfan210_
Reply to  swimfan210_
3 years ago

1:53.59 200 fly. 2nd in heat in a great battle with the boy next to her who went 1:53.35 and got ahead on the back half. Claire split 25.17/53.62/1:23.10/1:53.59.

PVSFree
3 years ago

Is there any female swimmer who’s been under 50 in both 100 fly and 100 back? Reagan Smith could (read: will) definitely do it at some point

B1GFANNNN
Reply to  PVSFree
3 years ago

Beata Nelson and Maggie MacNeil are also close. But no it’s never been done before

swimswimswim
Reply to  PVSFree
3 years ago

Not many have done it if at all. Brown at Tennessee and Macniel at Michigan come to mind?

Swimmer
Reply to  PVSFree
3 years ago

Natalie pretty damn close 50.01 / 49.97

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
Reply to  Swimmer
3 years ago

Natalie is the most impressive because she hit those swims in the SAME session at NCs.

Dan
Reply to  ALEXANDER POP-OFF
3 years ago

a very long time ago on top of that

N P
Reply to  PVSFree
3 years ago

Janet Hu was also pretty close to doing that. 50.3 in the fly and 49.9 in the back.

Phelp’s dog
3 years ago

What the heck

Dan
3 years ago

Fantastic swims but I hope they looked at the rulebook before doing the meet.
I did not see any specific mentioning in the rulebook at a first glance, but if it had been for an international record it would not have counted as it was done with boys/girls mixed.
Only thing that I currently see regarding records and mixed gender is:
104.2.C(1)
Lead-off legs/initial distances of mixed gender relays shall not count for American or U.S. Open records.
(so nothing related to mixed events with regards to NAG records).

If you can set the record in a mixed race I hope they remembered to follow 104.2.C.(5).(c)
Where a moveable bulkhead is used, course measurement… Read more »

swimfan210_
3 years ago

I wonder if she was expecting to swim this fast. She got SO close to breaking the 50 barrier and 51 barrier. Crazy to think she when might be under these barriers.
I was watching the live stream and I feel honored to have seen this live. I was actually getting pretty excited for it because I don’t really have anything else to get excited for. Honestly, after watching the livestream for a while, I’ve familiarized myself with some names of random swimmers on the team…

parker fleischman
3 years ago

Claire’s 100 fly is .08 faster than my 100 free time. A bit discouraging for me but at least now it’s a race to see who breaks 50 first.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  parker fleischman
3 years ago

loved that one

PFA
Reply to  parker fleischman
3 years ago

Well dang it this didn’t age too well

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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