6TH FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, August 23 – Monday, August 28, 2017
- 50-Meter Course
- Indianapolis (USA)
- Heats 9:30 am EDT / Semifinals and Finals 6 pm EDT (GMT-5)
- Meet Central
- Meet info
- Schedule
- Entries book
- Omega results
- TV/Webcast schedule (USA)
- Live stream NBC Sports
- Live stream FINA (Heats and finals, for subscribers only. Not available in USA, Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brunei, China)
- Live stream FINA YouTube (Heats only, free of charge)
Regan Smith equalled the junior world record she set in the 100 back final leading off the American medley relay, touching the wall in 59.11 for the second time this week.
Smith was a bit more aggressive on the front half in the relay, out in 28.46 compared to 28.70 in the individual race. She went even better in the mixed medley relay, leading off the U.S. in 58.95, which does count as a national age-group record but not as a junior world record (due to a FINA rule relating to males and females competing alongside one another).
The U.S. won silver in the race tonight in 3:59.19, as the Canadians finished the relay sweep in a new junior world record of 3:58.38. Smith and the Americans were under the previous record of 4:01.05, set by Russia in 2015.
Smith’s first swim of 59.11 broke the record set by Taylor Ruck in the semi-finals of 59.28. When Ruck broke the record, she lowered Australian Minna Atherton‘s mark of 59.34.
What a great season! Hope she continues to improves and reaches a higher level in coming years. What sets her apart from other promising young stars with great talents is that she is humble and has great support system (Dad is a swim coach, Coach Mike P’s experience, etc.). Speaking of coaching, this past week she was coached by her coach Parratto and head coach Lundsten, a master backstroke coach (also from Minnesota) who has coached some of best backstrokers include Bootsma.
Her next major event will be 200 Fly. Didn’t swim it this year but by next summer, with added strength, will be very competitive. Likely 2:09 low range or better. And congrats to coach Mike Parratto. Doing great work w Smith.
Three possibilities here, in my mind:
1) Smith continues on this trajectory and becomes an insanely fast backstroker, fighting for gold in 2020.
2) Smith’s improvements in backstroke level out around 58high and 2:06, but she improves her other strokes and becomes a world class 200 and 400 IMer by Tokyo, while still having backstroke as her best stroke.
3) She just gets stupidly fast at everything, becoming an insane IMer and backstroker, not unlike Hosszu (which is a funny comparison because IIRC backstroke used to be Hosszu’s weakest stroke).
She is a solid IMer but her breaststroke it really weak. She would have to work a lot on her breaststroke to have a competitive IM.
The women’s 100 back is blowing up! So much depth.
Her junior WR is 58.95 from mixed relay (2nd day)
Timmy – mixed relay lead offs don’t count for World Records.
With her progress I think we can expect 58.3 to 58.5 next year in her 100 and 2.05.5 to 2.06 in her 200.
I see WRs in her future!!!
definitely if she continues to progress in 2019 world she have the chance, 200 back is harder though.
I wish people would stop with these crazy predictions. Yes she had potential, but let her build to it. Don’t put such high expectations on her shoulders.
Totally agree with you. Enough with the crazy predictions and crowning of the next phelps or Franklin. Continuous improvement is the goal. Focus on effort not times.
With her progress I don’t think that’s crazy. She lower her best time from 59.79 to 58.95 and 2.09.79 to 2.07 low . So to expect her lower it 0.6 in 100 and 1.5 sec in 200, it’s not that crazy right ?
Anyway I just hope she can break both record at one time of her career, be it 2019,2020 or later.
Smith is having an amazing year. Congrats to her. Can’t wait to see much more from her.