Update: Smith confirmed to SwimSwam that she was meant to have been scratched from Austin prior to the release of the psych sheets, but there was an administrative mixup. She isn’t in Austin this week, and instead stayed home to train.
The top seed in four events, Leah Smith was a no-show in both her swims on day 1 of the Pro Swim Series in Austin, Texas.
Smith was slated to swim both the 400 IM and 200 free, but did not appear for either race. That, combined with the fact that Kaitlin Sandeno didn’t start Smith in her SwimSquad lineup, suggests that Smith may be a scratch from the entire Austin meet.
Smith was entered in six events. She was the top seed in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 freestyles, along with the second seed in the 400 IM. She was also set to swim the 100 free, sitting 20th.
This is Smith’s first season as a pro. She graduated from the University of Virginia last spring and moved out to Arizona to continue her pro career. Her college coach, Augie Busch, left Virginia in the offseason to take the head coaching job at the University of Arizona, and Smith followed Busch to compete with Arizona’s companion club, Tucson Ford Dealer Aquatics. Smith only swam one meet last fall, competing in two events at the Texas Hall of Fame Invite.
At that meet, Smith went 4:38 in a short course yard 500 free and 1:59.2 in a short course yard 200 IM. Outside of that and an August stop in Rome, Smith hasn’t competed since the 2017 World Championships in Budapest last July.
What’s up with Leah???
SUNY Cal – we reached out to ask her, but no response.