Regan Smith is back and better than ever. At U.S. World Championship Trials she won the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 fly, breaking U.S. open records in both backstroke events. In this video she adds more context to her successful move to Arizona and training under Bob Bowman, and I think this combo will net big results in Fukuoka.
REGAN SMITH 2023 WORLD CHAMP PREDICTIONS
I am biased. I admit it. I want Regan to win, which should be taken into account. She’s clearly in a good place. And with Coach Bob Bowman, I think we’re witnessing an athlete tuned to their full power.
100 Back? Kaylee McKeown was 57.5 at Aussie Trials. Regan was 57.7.
200 Back? Kaylee broke the world record in March with a 2:03.1, and Kaylee was 2:03.7 at Aussie Trials. Regan was 2:03.8 at US Trials.
Here’s my calculus. Kaylee’s World Records were swum in Australia. When Regan broke her World Records, she was at 2019 World Champs in South Korea. I think Regan returns to her 2019 magic, performing on the big stage. I’m calling a 57.4 100 back for Regan for the gold. I see a 2:03.3 200 back for Regan for gold. Kaylee swims eye-to-eye with Regan, but can’t quite get her hand on the wall, touching for sliver.
200 Fly? Regan’s 2:03 at the Tempe meet felt like a perfect swim. I think this is Summer McIntosh’s race, and Summer’s trajectory is dramatic right now. I see Regan pushing Summer to the gold. Regan toughs in 2:04.1, for the sliver.
But who cares what i think? I want to know what you think. Drop your comments below.
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Haha very funny
Funny that the thumb nail for this is Regan doing Fly.
I think Regan takes the 100 back and the 200 fly (barely), but that Kaylee will out touch her in the 200 back on the back half.
I’m not biased like Mel, my predictions are:
50 Back
🥇 Katharine
🥈 Kylie
🥉 Kaylee/Regan tie
100 Back
🥇 Kaylee
🥈 Regan
🥉 Ingrid
200 Back
🥇 Kaylee (30.9 Last 50)
🥈 Regan
🥉 Rhyan
200 Fly
🥇 Summer
🥈 Zhang
🥉 Regan
So much talk about Regan changing coaches, not so much about Kaylee, let’s do it now.
Kaylee’s 2022 was a bit rocky after dealing with a shoulder injury post Tokyo and moving to a different squad to train with Michael Bohl, it took a little time for her to settle in and figure out a multi event schedule but she’s shown in 2023 that… Read more »
Well this seems irrelevant but you seemed underestimated Reagan in 200 fly cause she still a solid second and at least could challenged Summer for the win.
This prediction aged like milk
If you look at Regan USA national championships swim.. Regan slowed down in the 5-10m …
I’m from India being neutral to each country it’s Regan’s 100/200 back..
Who cares what I think.
What say Mel ?
Regan didn’t slow down, Berkoff was speeding up!
One doesn’t speed up at the end of a 100.
Ingrid has been on the upswing lately but Kylie is super consistent. Ingrid is at many of the same meets as my kid & she’s great to watch.
I see it being very close between Regan and Kaylee, but I think that the argument that Kaylee swims faster at home has one big hole. She may have been fractionally slower at the Olympics compared to trials, but she won both races. She has an uncanny ability to get her hand on the wall first in pressure situations.
IMHO the time you swim at major championships matters less than the place you finish.
Kaylee by a small margin in both the 100 and the 200, with the WR going down in the 100 in the semis.
So Regan will break the WR in the semis? Because Kaylee will be saving herself for the 200 IM final.
That’s what I’m thinking.
Yeah the whole “she is slower overseas” thing is overblown. You could make the same argument that Smith is always slower in finals.
Looking at Kaylee’s top times:
2021 100 back
1. 57.45 – WR – Australia
2. 57.47 – Gold – Olympics Tokyo
3. 57.63 – Sydney Open Australia
0.02 slower is negligible, and considering she had a torn labrum is probably faster in the circumstances. I laughed at Coleman insisting on the podcast that this swim is clear evidence of her being slower overseas.
Meanwhile Smith swam slower in each round at the Olympics.
2021 200 back
1. 2:04.28 – Trials – Australia
2. 2:04.31 – Sydney Open – Australia
3. 2:04.68… Read more »
Yeah the sample size is way too small to make a definitive statement about her always being slower.
Honestly out of the entire Australian team Kaylee would be the last person I’d pick to go slower in Fukuoka. She might lose but it will be because of Reagan going fast not because she underperforms.
I think Kaylee’s achievements are disrespected by many She went to the Worlds in 2019- and Smith blew the WRs away, and left Kaylee seconds behind in her wake.
Kaylee used hard work, mental toughness and skill, and emerged the double backstroke Olympic champion 2 years later, and now holds the WRs.
She is basically unbeaten in 2 years in backstroke. She wins the tight races in LC and SC.
…well said. 100-200 back will be fun to watch…
Kaylee in 100/200/200 IM
Kaylee’s going to win. The end.
Regan is amazing and I’m hoping for two very close backstroke finals but Kaylee wins both IMO. She is just sooooo consistent with a very strong finish.