Regan Smith Breaks Kaylee McKeown’s World Record in the 200 Backstroke

2024 WORLD AQUATICS SWIMMING WORLD CUP – SINGAPORE

In the latest salvo in the virtual World Record tug-of-war between American Regan Smith and Australian Kaylee McKeown, Smith finished her World Cup romp on Saturday with a 1:58.83, shaving .11 seconds off McKeown’s mark in the 200 meter backstroke.

The record is Smith’s third of this World Cup series after dropping the 100 back record in both Incheon last week and Singapore this week.

World Record Split Comparisons

Smith opened up very fast in her new record-setting 200 and then was remarkably consistent through the remainder of the race, even-splitting the middle 50s of the swim.

This now gives Smith 4 World Records (100 back LCM, 400 medley relay LCM, 100 back SCM, and 200 back SCM) and reduces McKeown to just 2 (50 back LCM, 200 back LCM). Smith’s 4 records tie her for second-most globally among women with Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and Katie Ledecky. Australian Mollie O’Callaghan has the most with 6 current World Records: all in relays.

Of McKeown and Smith’s 5 combined backstroke World Records, none were set in head-to-head competition against each other.

Smith’s swim also broke the World Cup Record of 1:59.35 that was set by Ukrainian Daryna Zevina in Paris in 2016. It also broke Smith’s American Record of 1:59.60 from Incheon. Prior to that meet, Missy Franklin‘s American Record of 2:00.03 had stood since October 2011.

The swim earned her a $10,000 World Record bonus and an additional $10,000 ‘crowns’ bonus for winning the race at all three stops of this year’s series. She swam 2:00.42 in Shanghai.

All World Records Broken in the 2024 Swimming World Cup

• Noe Ponti, 50 fly – 21.50 (Singapore prelims)
• Noe Ponti, 50 fly – 21.67 (Incheon prelims)
• Leon Marchand, 200 IM – 1:48.88 (Singapore finals)
• Regan Smith, 100 back – 54.27 ((Singapore finals)
• Regan Smith, 100 back – 54.41 (Incheon finals)
• Regan Smith, 200 back – 1:58.83 (Singapore finals)
• Kate Douglass, 200 breast – 2:12.72 (Singapore finals)
• Kate Douglass, 200 breast – 2:14.16 (Incheon finals)