Claire Curzan Sets 15-16 NAG Record in 100 Backstroke
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly thrown the sport’s schedule off kilter, headlined by the one-year delay of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. What it hasn’t done, though, is slow down rising American star Claire Curzan.
While the pandemic has caused disruptions in training around the world, Curzan has managed to put in quality work with the TAC Titans and routinely produce fast times, the latest of which came on Saturday night at the TAC Titans Blizzard Blitz Beet in North Carolina. In the 100-yard backstroke, Curzan set a National Age Group record in the 15-16 classification with a performance of 50.18. That time broke the former standard of 50.58, set in 2018 by Regan Smith. Curzan split 24.48 on the front half of her race and came home in 25.70.
In the 50-yard freestyle, Curzan posted the third-fastest time of her career, an effort of 21.71. That time trails only Curzan’s 15-16 National Age Group record of 21.51, which was set in an intrasquad meet back in the summer, and her mark of 21.61. Curzan also owns a time of 21.77 for No. 4 all-time in the age group.
In addition to her record in the 50 free, Curzan has also set NAG standards in the 15-16 classification during COVID-19 in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly. More, she clocked a long-course time of 56.61 in the 100 fly at last month’s U.S. Open, a time that has Curzan as a favorite to earn a berth to the Tokyo Games in the event.
Curzan’s teammate, Charlotte Hook, won the 200 butterfly in 1:54.11.
This girl is on fire! She might take Olympic spots from those that may have earned in 2020. Wow!