Claire Curzan Downs Missy Franklin’s 100 Freestyle NAG – 53.55

Ending off what has been a particularly impressive meet, Claire Curzan has just lowered the US 15-16 long course age group record in the 100 freestyle to 53.55 at the 2021 TAC Titans Spring Invitational Meet. Curzan takes the record from Missy Franklin who previously held it at a 53.63 from 2011 US Nationals.

Curzan’s previous PB in the event was a 54.40 which she set recently at the 2021 NC TAC Titans LC Premier Meet in Cary, North Carolina.

With the swim, Curzan has shaved nearly a second off her best time, allowing her to jump far up the US all-time rankings, placing her at #10 in the country in history.

USA All-Time Rankings: Women’s LC 100 Freestyle

1. Simone Manuel – 52.04
2. Mallory Comerford – 52.59
3. Amanda Weir – 53.02
4. Abbey Weitzeil – 53.18
5. Dana Vollmer – 53.30
6. Missy Franklin – 53.36
7. Natalie Coughlin – 53.39
8. Erika Brown – 53.42
9. Margo Geer – 53.44
10. Torri Huske – 53.46
11. Claire Curzan – 53.55
12. Lia Neal – 53.59

Considering that Vollmer, Franklin, Coughlin, and Geer have all retired from the sport, Curzan ranks 7th in the all-time rankings among those still competing. Further, Curzan is ranked 3rd in the country this year among Americans behind only Simone Manuel‘s 53.34 from the 2020 Stanford Invite and Torri Huske‘s 53.46 from the 2021 NC TAC Titans LC Premier Meet.

USA 2020 – 2021 Rankings: Women’s LC 100 Freestyle

1. Simone Manuel – 53.34
2. Torri Huske – 53.46
3. Claire Curzan – 53.55
4. Abbey Weitzeil – 53.66
5. Linnea Mack – 53.78

As the 3rd ranked American with only 0.22 second separating herself, Huske, and Manuel, Curzan will certainly be in contention for a spot on the 2021 US Olympic team both for the 4×100 relay and the individual event. Looking at the global rankings, Curzan’s swim allows her to replace Russia’s Maria Kameneva as the 16th ranked swimmer in the event this year.

Another interesting ranking to look at in the wake of Curzan’s swim is the all-time junior rankings in the event. 16-year-old Curzan holds the 14th fastest 100 freestyle performance from someone aged 18 or younger. Among those on the list are three sub-53s including current world junior record holder Penny Oleksiak with a 52.70 which he swam at age 16 to win gold at the 2016 Olympics. Taylor Ruck and Rikako Ikee both swam under 53 as 18-year-olds back in 2018.

All-Time 18&U Long Course 100 Freestyle Rankings

1. Penny Oleksiak – 52.70 (Age 16) (2016)
2. Taylor Ruck – 52.72 (Age 18) (2018)
3. Rikako Ikee – 52.79 (Age 18) (2018)
4. Sarah Sjostrom – 53.05 (Age 18) (2011)
5. Simone Manuel – 53.25 (Age 18) (2014)
6. Cate Campbell – 53.30 (Age 15) (2008)
7. Ranomi Kromowidjojo – 53.31 (Age 18) (2009)
8. Freya Anderson – 53.31 (Age 18) (2019)
9. Missy Franklin – 53.36 (Age 18) (2013)
10. Menghi Zhu – 53.40 (Age 18) (2017)
11. Shayna Jack – 53.40 (Age 18) (2017)
12. Torri Huske – 53.46 (Age 18) (2021)
13. Junxuan Yang – 53.45 (Age 18) (2020)
14. Claire Curzan – 53.55 (Age 16) (2021)

Curzan’s 100 freestyle performance was her 4th and final swim of the meet, wrapping up a solid weekend of racing. Earlier on in the meet, she set a new world junior record in the 50 freestyle with a 24.17 to lower Rikako Ikee’s mark of 24.33. Curzan also lowered the 50 free NAG 2 times, first breaking Gretchen Walsh‘s 24.45 and then lowering it in finals to her 24.17 WJR.

Curzan also broke Regan Smith‘s 15-16 NAG in the 100 backstroke with a 58.82 to shave just 0.01 seconds off Smith’s mark of 53.83. In the 100 fly, Curzan posted a 56.43 which got her within 0.23 seconds of her season-best and world junior record of 56.20 from earlier this year.