Regan Smith Breaks Own World Record With 54.02 100 Backstroke While Leading Off Medley Relay

2024 SC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay — Final

• World Record: 3:44.35 — United States (C. Curzan, L. King, T. Huske, K. Douglass) (2022)
• Championship Record: 3:44.35 — United States (C. Curzan, L. King, T. Huske, K. Douglass) (2022)
• 2022 Champion: United States (C. Curzan, L. King, T. Huske, K. Douglass) — 3:44.35

Final:

1. United States (Smith, King, G. Walsh, Douglass) — 3:40.41 ***WORLD RECORD***
2. Great Britain (Wood, Evans, Okaro, Anderson) — 3:47.84
3. China (Qian, Tang, Chen, Liu) — 3:47.93
4. Sweden — 3:48.35
5. Neutral Athletes ‘B’. — 3:49.35
6. Italy — 3:50.36
7. Japan — 3:51.13
8. Hungary — 3:51.65

Regan Smith broke her own World Record in the women’s 100 backstroke, leading off in a 54.02. That broke her record of a 54.27 that she swam this fall at the World Cup stop in Singapore.

Split Comparison

Smith came home strong and was almost half a second faster on the 2nd 50 compared to her old World Record. She notably was under her old official record last night while leading off the mixed medley relay in a 54.19, although that mark did not stand as official.

With her record in the 100, Smith set all three World Records in the backstroke events this week. She broke her own 200 back World Record earlier in tonight’s session. She also added the 50 back World Record to her resume as she swam a 25.23 to win the 50 back. That broke the old World Record of a 25.25 previously held by Canada’s Maggie MacNeil.

Smith’s lead off leg also helped the US women to a World Record in the 4×100 medley relay. Her split led them off already two seconds under the record.