2024 U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
- June 15-23, 2024
- Lucas Oil Stadium — Indianapolis, IN
- LCM (50 Meters)
- Session Start Times (ET):
- 11 a.m. Prelims
- 7:45 p.m. Finals (varying based on broadcast needs)
- Meet Central
- Broadcast Info
- SwimSwam’s Definitive Guide to Trials
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- SwimSwam Pick ’em Contest
- Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
- Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
Just before the second heat of semifinalists began to parade onto the deck in Lucas Oil, the camera found Regan Smith. Bundled up in her signature mittens, Smith gave the camera a big smile and waved. She looked completely at ease.
It was just the calm before the storm. Smith ran away with her semifinal, blazing a 57.47 to knock off the 57.51 American record she swam at an in-season tune up less than a month ago. That record was a big moment for Smith as she bettered the standard she set leading off the relay at the 2019 World Championships–her breakout meet.
Now, Smith has lowered her lifetime best by a full tenth, with a final swim still to come tomorrow night.
Split Comparison:
| 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Semifinal | 2024 NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge | 2019 World Championships | |
| 50 | 28.02 | 28.11 | 27.74 |
| 100 | 29.45 | 29.40 | 29.83 |
| 57.47 | 57.51 | 57.57 |
Smith flipped in 28.02, .13 seconds under Kaylee McKeown‘s world record pace. She made a final push in the closing meters, though she couldn’t quite keep pace with McKeown’s closing speed. It was the front end speed that made the difference for her compared to her old American record though.
Smith remains the second-fastest performer in the history of the event and this swim ties McKeown’s performance from the Tokyo Games as 4th fastest all-time.
Top Five 100 Back Performances All-Time (LCM)
- Kaylee McKeown, 57.33 — 2023 World Cup, Budapest
- Kaylee McKeown, 57.41 — 2024 Australian Trials
- Kaylee McKeown, 57.45 — 2021 Australian Trials
- Kaylee McKeown/Regan Smith, 57.47 — 2021 Olympics/2024 U.S Trials
Smith has maintained her position ahead of an increasingly competitive field, where it took 59.33 to make tomorrow night’s final. She did so just one day removed from becoming the third fastest American in the 100 butterfly with a 55.62 for 3rd.
The final tomorrow night will be amazing. WR is on watch…
27.90
29.33
57.23WR!!!!!!
I feel like she’ll miss it by two tenth. Predicting a 57.55
100 fly: 55.92 sf 55.62 f
100 back: 57.47 sf 57.17 f
Wow. An objective arithmetic progression post.
And it gets 11-0 downvotes, clearly all from Australians.
I never knew Aussies were so mathematically challenged. lol
57,27
I’m curious if Bowman can do the same for Jacoby in the next four years.
I really think jacoby would’ve been on the Paris roster if she took 2 shorter, but quicker strokes I to her turn. She missed it in the semis and then missed it again in finals. She charged at the end but lost so much speed not bouncing off the wall
I don’t know about the wall bouncing but did notice the lack of effective timing into the turn.
Can we all just register that Kathleen Baker, the World Record holder in this event in 2018, isn’t even one of the Top 5 performers in this event anymore?
Not only that, but after this weekend she likely won’t even have one of the top 40 performances all-time.
Absolutely insane
57 second swims: Kaylee has 17 times, Regan has 19, Kylie has 4, Katharine and Mollie have 1 each
So Kathleen Baker is already outside the top 40 fastest times
That WR is coming with Berkoff next to her in the final.
I wouldn’t rule it out, but I also thought Gretchen would go faster in the fly final being flanked by Torri & Regan. Seems like records fall easier in semis, either due to the pressure of the final, or a feeling that you can gamble a little more in a semi without worrying about falling below top 8 if it doesn’t go perfectly.
I think if she could slow down the turnover a tad she could do it. I’m glad she did that swim here in semis and hopefully that got it out of her system.