After setting two world records at the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea last week, Regan Smith<\/strong> had just a matter of a few days to fly back across the Pacific and prepare for another huge meet.<\/p>\n

That is an awful lot to deal with for someone who still has a year of high school to go.<\/p>\n

But the 17-year-old Smith has proven to be unlike most teenagers. She swims faster but has a stunning maturity that keeps everything in perspective \u2014 which will prove to be pivotal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat meet was such a high and we came straight here. Coming into this meet, I wanted to focus on having fun,\u201d Smith said. \u201cRegardless of how last week went (it was the focus of the summer), I wanted to not put any pressure on myself and just race.\u201d<\/p>\n