Fighting Back From Illness, Regan Smith Wins Consolation Final Of 100 Freestyle

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Fighting Back From Illness, Regan Smith Wins Consolation Final Of 100 Freestyle

What was supposed to be a three-day stretch of consistent racing in the New Year didn’t materialize for three-time Olympic medalist Regan Smith at the TYR Pro Series stop in Knoxville. A stomach bug sidelined Smith for most of the competition at the Allan Jones Aquatic Center, as she was forced to scratch Thursday night’s finals, along with her entire schedule on Friday.

On Saturday, though, Smith got in some racing before heading back to Arizona and continuing her training with the impressive professional group at Sun Devil Swimming. While Smith scratched the 200-meter individual medley, which she won at last month’s U.S. Open, she remained in the 100 freestyle and ultimately won the consolation final in 55.53. Smith was followed in her heat by Canadian Elan Daley (55.83).

Before Smith was hit by illness, she raced a pair of prelims during the Thursday morning session at the University of Tennessee, going 1:59.10 in the 200 freestyle and 27.81 in the 50 backstroke. Those were solid performances for the 20-year-old, who is now working with coach Bob Bowman. Smith spent one year at Stanford University, before opting to turn professional.

At the beginning of this 2023 campaign, Smith is the reigning world champion in the 100 backstroke. At the Olympics in Tokyo, Smith was the silver medalist in the 200 butterfly, bronze medalist in the 100 backstroke and earned silver as a member of the United States’ 400 medley relay.

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