‘Chef’s Kiss’ Swims from Skyler Smith Vault Late Bloomer Up World Rankings
Skyler Smith admits that she wears her heart on her sleeve. Around the fourth “super” of her interview Friday morning at the Woollett Aquatic Center, that explanation became redundant.
Smith was stoked. She had just set the second-fastest time of prelims in the women’s 50 breaststroke at the Pan Pacific Championships and the fastest among Americans at 30.08. It trimmed .23 off the best time she’s been chasing since Nationals in 2023. It also banished a false start in Thursday’s 100 breast.
So yeah, whatever level of exuberance Smith was at, it was right for the moment. Just as it was when she blasted through the 30-second barrier to go 29.90 for third place at night.
“I’ve been trying to get under 30.4 for three years now,” Smith said after prelims. “I was so scared to jump off the block. Honestly, that was my biggest fear. Once I heard the go, I was like, ‘It’s go time.’ So I’m truly so, so honored to be competing here in my first international meet for the USA and finally underneath that 30.4.”
Smith is a late bloomer. That native of San Jose, Calif., finished her college career at the University of North Carolina in 2025. She never A finaled at NCAAs, finishing 12th in the 100 breast as a sophomore and junior after ninth-place prelims finishes. As a senior, she was 15th in the 100 breast at her final NCAAs and 44th in the 200.
But long-course has enlivened her and sent her to a first international meet, not just in her home country but in her home state.
“It’s such a dream,” she said. “My whole entire family’s here. My family friends are here. Honestly, I saw my coach this morning, I wanted to cry because I was so excited just by the fact that I’m swimming for Team USA. We’re in LA. It’s truly a dream come true.”
The swim at night moved her even further up in the American echelons. Tang Qianting won in 29.67. Second was McKenzie Siroky, building on her 100 breast win, in 29.70. But Smith was with them all the way, clocking at 29.90.
She was the third woman to get under 30 seconds in the world in 2026, with two more Europeans joining them in semifinals on Saturday. Smith is the sixth-fastest American woman in history.
“I’m finally in the 29 club, so I’m really excited,” Smith said. “Obviously, you can hear my voice. Really proud of the hard work. It’s been a really hard year, so happy to have gotten it done.”
Smith credited “her small but mighty village” in getting her here. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2025 and is pursuing a master’s in sports and fitness administration/management on Chapel Hill. That included a full-year internship with UNC’s athletic department and teaching courses in lifetime fitness at UNC.
Her village helped her overcome the disappointment of the DQ in the 100. Smith was clearly rolling at the start, wiping out her chances of advancing.
“I definitely was mad for about an hour, really frustrated,” she said. “Then I’m a kind of person where I have to joke about those things. So I made a joke out of it, and I was like, you know what? Better to happen, today and be prepared for the 50 tomorrow, and that’s exactly what I did. So I’m super, super happy to be here.”
Confidence is part of her transformation. The biggest difference between where she was and where she is may be her belief that she could get there.
So the question of if she saw this kind of growth coming is complicated. Smith knew she could achieve more than she did in college; her truly believing that was an instrumental part in achieving it.
“I believe in myself,” she said. “I walked on the block today and I was like, ‘This is anyone’s race.’ The Chinese girl might have been a 29.5 this morning, and I sat there and I was like, ‘Maybe I can do that tonight.’ So I’m very honored to be able to compete for my country.”