No 200 Free For Regan Smith at U.S. Olympic Trials; Enters 100/200s of Fly/Back

2021 U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TRIALS

19-year-old world record-holder Regan Smith will focus in on backstroke and butterfly at U.S. Olympic Trials. She will not go after a 4×200 free relay spot.

2019s world breakout star, Smith is the world record-holder in the 100 and 200 backstrokes and the reigning world champ in the 200 back.

Smith swill swim the 100 back, 200 back, 100 fly, and 200 fly at Olympic Trials, holding top-5 seeds in all four events. She’s the runaway #1 seed in both the 100 back and 200 back, though those fields are considered among the toughest of any event at U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021. Smith is also the #2 seed in the 200 fly and the #5 seed in the 100 fly.

Here’s a look at what her event schedule would look like, session-by-session:

Morning Evening
Day 1 (Sun. 6/13) 100 fly (heats) 100 fly (semis)
Day 2 (Mon. 6/14) 100 back (heats) 100 fly (final)
100 back (semis)
Day 3 (Tue. 6/15) 100 back (final)
Day 4 (Wed. 6/16) 200 fly (heats) 200 fly (semis)
Day 5 (Thu. 6/17) 200 fly (final)
Day 6 (Fri. 6/18) 200 back (heats)
200 back (semis)
Day 7 (Sat. 6/19) 200 back (final)
Day 8 (Sun. 6/20)

The only potential conflict comes on day 2, when the 100 fly final and 100 back semifinals share a session. Smith had hinted at this exact event lineup in a SwimSwam interview last summer. At the time, she noted the potential 100 fly/100 back conflict, but said “if there’s a way I can fit them both in there, I’d really like to do that.”

As doubles go, this one is actually one of the more doable. The 100 fly final is the very first event of the session, and the 100 back semifinal is the very last event. In between are five events comprising eight total heats, plus plenty of awards ceremonies and commercial breaks. In addition, Smith would be able to go all-out to make the top 2 Olympic qualifying spots in the 100 fly, and would only have to finish in the top 8 in the 100 back to move on to the final the next day.

On the flip side, Smith will not contest the 200 free, which would have had heats on Tuesday (an empty session for Smith), but semifinals just two events prior to her all-important 100 back final. Smith ranks #22 among Americans over the Olympic Trials qualifying period in the 200 free, and some saw this event as a sneaky way to add another potential Olympic medal to Smith’s lineup. But the teenager is looking to make her first-ever Olympic team, and securing that bid – one of the premier goals of any young swimmer – is clearly taking precedence over trying to take on too many events.

Smith was one of the younger competitors at Olympic Trials in 2016. At age 14, she made the 100 back semifinals, taking 13th. She was also 33rd in the 200 back and 81st in the 100 fly.

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96Swim
2 years ago

Is she likely to be on the mixed medley relay? US has been generally going Male backstroker, Lilly King breast, Dressel fly, and Manuel free right? So that likely leaves her off except for possibly prelims unless she drops a really fast fly or backstroke and changes the thinking?

RMS
2 years ago

I wish she would just swim the heats of the 200 free to throw down a fast time to be considered for the 4×200 relay.

AvidSwimFan
Reply to  RMS
2 years ago

In Dirado’s case it was the best decision. If Smith gets the same treatment it will also be the best decision.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  AvidSwimFan
2 years ago

Missy Franklin was a flop in the women’s 200 meter freestyle at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The bull pen, utilizing the baseball vernacular, already includes Simone Manuel and Melanie Margalis for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  RMS
2 years ago

Why?

Regan Smith’s personal best time does not stack up to Manuel, Margalis, McLaughlin.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  RMS
2 years ago

I doubt it. Schmitt was dumped in favor of Simone Manuel.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  RMS
2 years ago

Not gonna happen.

The final of the women’s 200 meter butterfly precedes the final of the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay. Check out the swimming competition schedule (Thu 29 Jul).

https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/schedule/swimming-schedule

RUN-DMC
2 years ago

It’s possible she could get top 2 in the 100 fly. But I hope she doesn’t get it, because you can only swim one leg on the medley relay.

TimmyG
Reply to  RUN-DMC
2 years ago

hope she gets 2nd then

Meow
Reply to  TimmyG
2 years ago

Hmm has anybody ever swum one leg of the relay in prelims and a different one in finals? Would you get two medals??

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Meow
2 years ago

Curzan and Manuel could both final in the women’s 50 meter freestyle.

https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/schedule/swimming-schedule

The final of the women’s 50 meter freestyle precedes the final of the women’s 4 x 100 meter medley relay.

swimfast
Reply to  Meow
2 years ago

Great question but highly doubt you get two medals

Zanna
Reply to  Meow
2 years ago

Duncan Scott recently at Euros. Fly in Prelims, Free in Finals.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  RUN-DMC
2 years ago

Since the women’s 100 meter butterfly is first on the schedule for Torri Huske and Regan Smith, both swimmers should be fresh as a daisy.

Meanwhile, Claire Curzan (56.61, 56.20, 56.43) flirts with the American record.

https://www.swimcloud.com/swimmer/1136244/

MX4x50relay
2 years ago

Only one double? Seems like she could do really well in all of the events then

Anonymous
2 years ago

Just a quick typo that she’s 19, not 17. Interesting to see the events she plans to swim.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
2 years ago

Regan Smith – DOB 09 Feb 2002

Socaladvracer
2 years ago

Smith isn’t the reigning world champ in 100 Back, she didn’t even swim it at world champs!! Relay lead off only. Might want to update your story before the vultures set in.

Splash
Reply to  Socaladvracer
2 years ago

Also pretty sure she’s not 17 anymore

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Splash
2 years ago

LOLLLL

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Socaladvracer
2 years ago

Regan Smith is the reigning world champion in the W 200 BK.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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