Regan Smith Likens Swimming Against a Loaded Field to Swimming a Relay (Video)

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – SAN ANTONIO

Reported by James Sutherland.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY FINALS

  • PSS Record: 2:06.11, Hali Flickinger (USA), 2020
  • U.S. Olympic Trials Cut: 2:14.59
  1. Regan Smith, RIPT, 2:10.10
  2. Leah Gingrich, HURR, 2:10.64
  3. Katie Crom, MVN, 2:10.85

Regan Smith leaned on her front-end speed in the women’s 200 fly final, getting out about a second faster than the prelims at the 100 mark in 1:02.32. The 18-year-old held off Leah Gingrich, who made a hard charge on the last length, to win in 2:10.10, almost two seconds quicker than the morning.

Smith currently sits eighth in the world for 2020-21, having been 2:08.61 at the U.S. Open site in Des Moines.

The Riptide swimmer mentioned post-race that she’ll have some applesauce to prepare for the 100 back final a little bit later on.

Gingrich, 30, was the only swimmer to come home sub-34 in 33.61, clocking 2:10.64 for the fifth-fastest swim of her career (and second-fastest since 2009).

WOMEN’S 100 BACK FINALS

  • PSS Record: 58.18, Regan Smith (USA), 2020
  • U.S. Olympic Trials Cut: 1:02.69
  1. Regan Smith, RIPT, 59.75
  2. Olivia Smoliga, ABSC, 59.94
  3. Kathleen Baker, TE, 59.97

In what will likely be a preview of this year’s Olympic Trials, Regan SmithOlivia Smoliga and Kathleen Baker battled stroke-for-stroke down the final few meters of the women’s 100 back, with Smith claiming the win in 59.75.

Coming off her 200 fly victory about an hour earlier, Smith held nothing back opening up, splitting 28.44 at the 50 before holding off the two Olympians down the stretch. The 18-year-old improves on her season-best of 59.95 from the U.S. Open, and moves her past Baker for eighth in the world.

Smoliga was the only swimmer in the field to break 31 coming home, nipping Baker at the wall by .03 in 59.94 to inch by her prelim time of 1:00.03.

Baker, who hit a 59.82 at the U.S. Open, snaps the minute-mark again in 59.97, which is slightly quicker than she was in February 2020 competing in France (1:00.03).

18-year-old Isabelle Stadden also had a nice drop from the prelims, getting down to 1:00.32 for fourth, right on track with her fastest time from 2019-20 (1:00.24).

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About Coleman Hodges

Coleman Hodges

Coleman started his journey in the water at age 1, and although he actually has no memory of that, something must have stuck. A Missouri native, he joined the Columbia Swim Club at age 9, where he is still remembered for his stylish dragon swim trunks. After giving up on …

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