2023 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 27 – July 1, 2023
- Indianapolis, IN
- Indiana University Natatorium
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
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In addition to her usual lineup of the 50 back, 100 back, 200 back, and 200 fly, Regan Smith is also entered in the 100 fly and 200 IM at the 2023 U.S. National Championships—the qualifying meet for the 2023 World Championships. Smith has not raced the finals of a 100 fly at a major international team qualification meet since the 2018 U.S. National Championships and has not raced the 200 IM at a major meet since 2017 U.S. Nationals.
Smith, who left Stanford to train with Arizona State under Bob Bowman in August 2022, is better known for being the American record holder in the 100, 200 back, and 200 fly. However, she is also seeded third in the 100 fly with a time of 56.60 and second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:08.48. In fact, Smith is the fastest-performing American woman of 2023 in all of her events except the 50 back.
In the 100 fly, Smith will face stark competition in the form of swimmers like Torri Huske (55.64 PB), Claire Curzan (56.20 PB), Kate Douglass (56.56 PB), and Gretchen Walsh (56.72 PB), who all have best times close to or faster than her own personal best. The path to Worlds qualification in the 200 IM seems clearer, with only Alex Walsh (2:07.13 PB) having been faster than Smith in the last two years. However, names like Leah Hayes (2:08.91) and Douglass (2:09.04) will also be challengers.
However, if Smith qualifies for Worlds in both the 100 fly and 200 IM, she will have to deal with semi-finals and finals of both events being in the same session. In addition, the semifinals of the 100 back also fall on the same night as the 100 back and 200 IM, rendering it unlikely that she swims both the 100 fly and 200 IM in addition to her primary events.
Smith has seen incredible progress in both the 100 fly and 200 IM since moving to Arizona State, having dropped 0.74 seconds in the former event and 4.70 seconds in the latter. However, even without both events, she will do just fine, given that she’s a heavy favorite to win the 100 back, 200 back, and 200 fly at trials (in addition to medaling at Worlds).
Choke coming
From Titmus mybee
She’ll scratch something.
Not these two new events. 100 fly is pretty wide open after Huske and the 200 IM is Bowman’s pride race on the last day of the meet. I see 55 high and 2:07 coming.
If this is about Bowman’s pride, then there’s a serious problem.
And Regan’s triumph over an average breaststroke.
As a fan, I’m glad she’s doing all these events
One of the more exciting swimmers to watch this year because it feels like there’s so much possibility, potential for epic showdowns, and who doesn’t love a comeback
This is insane, Trying to many events will end up without winning eny of them.
With the 200 fly on Day one, she’s almost assured of qualifying after that event alone (barring a DQ).
She should go for it. Can easily see here in racing at worlds in the 50/100/200 back, 100/200 fly, 200 IM, women’s medley relay and mixed medley relays.
They’ll probably use Armstrong in the mixed medley because she has 2fly not long before.
I don’t foresee a triple on Day 4 of the 2023 World Aquatics Championships:
Women’s 200 meter butterfly – semis
Women’s 50 meter backstroke – semis
Mixed 4 x 100 meter medley relay – final
And heck, where’s the 800 free relay on the program?? Throw ‘er in!
(I’m not joking I would like to see that.)
Good luck trying to swim a triple on the evening of Day 2 at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.
Totally agree….
how many swimmers have ever won 5 individual medals at a single worlds/Olympics? Or even 4 medals? Phelps has gone 5/5 gold of course, I know Ledecky and Hosszu have won 4 multiple times each, and Lochte has done it once
i know theres older swimmers like Spitz, Shane Gould, Biondi etc who have done it but more interested in like since 2000ish
Sarah Sjostrom is the only person besides Phelps to win 5 individual medals at the WCs (in 2019 she won 1 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze).
Shane Gould won 5 individual medals at the ’72 Olympics (3 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze) though I’m not sure if she is the only swimmer besides Phelps to have pulled that off.
oh right… somehow I missed Sjostrom who literally owns the WR in 4 events
As for four medals, the only other person not yet mentioned since 2000 that has pulled it off that I can remember is Grant Hacket who won 3 golds and a silver that the 2005 WCs.
Thorpe got close in 2001, with 3 golds in WR time and a 4th place.
michael klim won 4 medals in 1998
seeing the recent article also reminds me that Dressel did it in 2019 too and barely missed out in 2017
Thorpe won 4 in 2003, gold in the 200&400 free, silver in the 200 IM and bronze in the 100 free.
Most recently, Sarah Sjostrom won five individual medals (1 G, 2 S, 2 B) at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.
I know it’s not the same thing, but at the 2004 SC world championships, Brooke Hanson won 5 individual gold medals
2005 – Coventry 2 Gold, 2 Silver.
2008 Olympics 1 Gold, 3 Silver
Kristin Otto 1988 Olympics- 5 individual gold
Tracy Caulkins. 5 gold 1 silver in 1978 over the steroid beasts of East Germany. 4 world records and 1 AR at at age 15. Clean. Perhaps the best swimming performance outside of Phelps’ 8 golds.