{"id":531146,"date":"2023-06-30T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2023-06-30T16:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=531146"},"modified":"2023-06-30T09:00:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T16:00:53","slug":"u-s-nationals-regan-smith-smokes-58-04-in-100-backstroke-prelims-leads-stacked-final","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-nationals-regan-smith-smokes-58-04-in-100-backstroke-prelims-leads-stacked-final\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Nationals: Regan Smith Smokes 58.04 in 100 Backstroke Prelims, Leads Stacked Final"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Nationals: Regan Smith Smokes 58.04 in 100 Backstroke Prelims, Leads Stacked Final<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Regan Smith<\/strong> has put together a spectacular start to her U.S. National Championships in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

Day 4 brought what has historically been her best event, the 100 backstroke. She is the American record holder at 57.57, just 12 hundredths of a second off the world record.<\/p>\n

The women’s 100 backstroke brings out the best because it has traditionally been the most stacked event in swimming, dating back to Natalie Coughlin<\/strong> and Missy Franklin<\/strong>. Plenty of Olympians and elite swimmers chased them, but also pushed them to greatness.<\/p>\n

The event trend has continued for more than a decade. This year another loaded field that includes Claire Curzan, Phoebe Bacon, Katharine Berkoff, Isabelle Stadden, Olivia Smoliga<\/strong> and Rhyan White<\/strong> – and five Olympians made the final, led by Smith’s 58.04.<\/p>\n

Smith was in the final of seven prelims heats. Smith was out in 28.02 just ahead of Berkoff. Smith finished in 58.04, ahead of Berkoff (58.39).<\/p>\n

White claimed the first circle-seeded heat with a 59.66 to hold off a late charging Smoliga (59.79).<\/p>\n

The second circle-seeded heat saw Curzan smoke a first half of 28.76 and got to the wall in 59.24 ahead of Stadden (59.43).<\/p>\n

Smith had the top seed (58.04), ahead of Berkoff (58.39), who swam a best time after winning the 50 backstroke at U.S. Nationals.<\/p>\n

Third went to Kennedy Noble<\/strong> (59.11), ahead of Curzan (59.24), Stadden (59.43), Bacon (59.61), White (59.66) and Smoliga (59.79).<\/p>\n