INDIANAPOLIS — Regan Smith reclaimed the world record in the women’s 100-meter backstroke here at U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis, outdueling her biggest rival from halfway around the world a month before they’ll meet head-to-head in Paris.
Smith went 57.13 in Tuesday’s final, shattering Australian Kaylee McKeown’s previous mark by two full tenths.
Smith, 22, slammed the water, and smiled in delight, as her family erupted joyously in the stands nearby.
A former teen phenom, Smith first broke the world record in both the 100 and 200 backstroke in 2019, two days apart, at age 17.