{"id":506837,"date":"2022-06-19T00:45:05","date_gmt":"2022-06-19T07:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=506837"},"modified":"2022-06-19T01:07:08","modified_gmt":"2022-06-19T08:07:08","slug":"world-championships-regan-smith-top-qualifier-in-the-womens-100m-backstroke-kaylee-mckeown-a-late-withdrawal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/world-championships-regan-smith-top-qualifier-in-the-womens-100m-backstroke-kaylee-mckeown-a-late-withdrawal\/","title":{"rendered":"World Championships: Regan Smith Top Qualifier in the Women\u2019s 100m Backstroke; Kaylee McKeown A Late Withdrawal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Regan Smith Tops Qualifiers in the Women\u2019s 100m Backstroke With Kaylee McKeown A Late Withdrawal<\/strong><\/p>\n

The USA\u2019s former world record holder Regan Smith <\/strong>produced the most impressive swim of five heats to top the qualifiers in the women\u2019s 100m backstroke on night two of the World Swimming Championships in after the last minute withdrawal of Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Australian world record holder and number one seed, deciding to concentrate on tonight\u2019s 200m individual medley final at Budapest’s Duna Arena.<\/p>\n

Smith, the 20-year-old from Stanford, won the first of the three seeded heats in a slick 58.31 \u2013 declaring she means business en-route to tonight\u2019s semi-finals.<\/p>\n

The 2019 world champion in the 200m backstroke, knows she will have to remain on her game with two-time defending champion, Canada\u2019s Kylie Masse,<\/strong> winning her heat in 58.89.<\/p>\n

Masse took the title in Budapest in 2017 and defended her crown ahead of Australia\u2019s Minna Atherton<\/strong> in Gwangju in 2019 and will be hunting a history-making third crown – the first swimmer to do so in the 100m backstroke.<\/p>\n

Smith and Masse were the only swimmers under 59 seconds with fifth heat winner, US 100m butterfly finalist Claire Curzan<\/strong> the third fastest qualifier in 59.09 ahead of China\u2019s Letian Wan<\/strong> (59.09) and European champion Kira Toussaint in the 50m backstroke next in 59.69.<\/p>\n

Australian head coach Rohan Taylor<\/strong> told News Corp<\/em> the decision to withdraw McKeown was to allow her to put everything into trying to win the medley.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s obviously a big call but it\u2019s about the long term development,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBasically she\u2019ll feel more confident just putting all her eggs in the basket for that medley and going for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll still race (100m backstroke) at the Commonwealth Games (in Birmingham) and obviously at some point she\u2019ll have to look at the double, that\u2019s the reality but for now it\u2019s just helping her just get used to it.\u201d<\/p>\n