2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – WESTMONT
- March 6-9, 2024
- FMC Natatorium – Westmont, Illinois
- LCM (50 meters)
- Start Times
- All Prelims: 9 a.m. (Central Time)
- Thurs.-Sat. Finals: 6 p.m. (Central Time)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- How To Watch
- Live Results
- Results also available via Meet Mobile: “2024 TYR Pro Swim Series – Westmont”
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
On the final night of the Westmont stop of the TYR Pro Swim Series, Regan Smith reset her own Pro Swim Series record in the women’s 200 backstroke. This concludes a fantastic weekend of racing for Smith, who set a U.S. Open Record in the 100 backstroke on Day 3.
Smith fired off a 2:03.99 for the fourth sub-2:04 swim of her career. The only three times she’s been faster are 2019 Worlds where she swam her personal best (2:03.35) and 2:03.69. Then, at 2023 U.S. Nationals she set the U.S. Open Record at 2:03.80. She missed cracking that mark as well by .19 seconds.
The previous Pro Swim Series record was a 2:04.76, which Smith swam at the April 2023 Westmont stop. Smith chopped .77 seconds off her old standard.
| 2019 World Championships | 2023 U.S. Nationals | 2024 Westmont Pro Swim | 2023 Westmont Pro Swim | |
| 50 | 29.06 | 28.98 | 29.09 | 28.93 |
| 100 | 1:00.37 (31.31) | 1:00.00 (31.02) | 1:00.86 (31.77) | 1:00.38 (31.45) |
| 150 | 1:31.84 (31.47) | 1:31.49 (31.49) | 1:32.32 (31.46) | 1:32.29 (31.91) |
| 200 | 2:03.35 (31.51) | 2:03.80 (32.31) | 2:03.99 (31.67) | 2:04.76 (32.47) |
Her swim in Westmont was one of the most consistent 200 backs of her career. Smith was able to keep herself from posting a 32-split, like she did at both 2019 Worlds and the 2023 U.S. Open.
These splits also reflect that Smith is concentrating on the back half of her races. That part of her race–regardless of stroke–proved difficult for her at 2023 Worlds, her last major international competition. She focused heavily on that part of the race in her 100 backstroke on Day 3; it was where she did all the work to break her U.S. Open record. Here in the 200 back, she put up one of the fastest final 50s of her career, bringing the race home in 31.67.
With the swim, Smith improves her #1 in the World Rankings this season. She beats the 2:04.27 she swam at the U.S. Open. Kaylee McKeown holds the second-fastest time at 2:04.81.
Like her other wins this weekend in the 200 fly and 100 backstroke, Smith dominated this race. She won by more than three seconds as Rhyan White took second in 2:07.38.
Original Reporting by Riley Overend:
WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINAL
- World Record: 2:03.14, Kaylee McKeown (2023)
- American Record: 2:03.35, Regan Smith (2019)
Pro Swim Series Record: 2:04.76, Regan Smith (2023)- U.S Open Record: 2:03.80, Regan Smith (2023)
Top 8:
- Regan Smith (SUN) – 2:03.99
- Rhyan White (WOLF) – 2:07.38
- Leah Shackley (BRY) – 2:08.87
- Justine Murdock (UN-IL) – 2:12.96
- Vera Conic (PPD) – 2:14.89
- Lauren Bernardo (MAC-NC) – 2:18.04
- Lea Nugent (TQ) – 2:18.84
- Callie Dickinson (ABSC) – 2:23.12
Regan Smith continued her red-hot week with her third sub-2:04 200 back of her career to take home the win in 2:03.99. She was just about half a second shy of her personal-best 2:03.35 from 2019, and more than three seconds ahead of runner-up finisher Rhyan White (2:07.38). In the process, Smith erased her own Pro Swim Series record of 2:04.76 from last year by almost a second.
White has been as fast as 2:05.13 back in 2022. Top prelims qualifier Leah Shackley was the only other swimmer sub-2:10 with her 3rd-place showing in 2:08.87. The 17-year-old NC State commit was within half a second of her personal-best 2:08.42 from last May.
Northwestern junior Justine Murdock placed 4th in 2:12.96, only about a second off her lifetime best from 2022 (2:11.73).
Vera Conic clocked a new best time en route to 5th place in 2:14.89, shaving about a tenth off her previous-best 2:15.03 from last August.
Is it just me or are a bunch of Americans ditching the fly and die to focus on their backhalf and getting better results this season?
Seems like the Aussies in Fukuoka inspired them.
Don’t let you know who sees this
Great to see Regan healthy and happy. No matter how this summer goes, it’s great to see her:)
You left out the 2019 world championship final. I think that was 59.4 on the way out. Something like that.
It was the intelligent way to swim it. That’s where the event is headed. Regan would have been well ahead of her time if she had maintained that strategy. Keep doing it and the remainder comes around.
So happy for her. Kaylee has been so consistent and is definitely the threat in the 200 but Regan was robbed of heading into an Olympics in 2:03 form in 2020 so I’m happy to see this ahead of Paris, no matter what medal she ends up getting.
And Kaylee McKeown was robbed of her dad who passed away months before Tokyo.
IDK how certain we can be about what didn’t happen, Kaylee was already on her trajectory to stardom in 2019 too, it’s possible she would’ve broken out and surpassed Regan in 2020. Who knows because…
I’m going to love explaining the void of time that is 2020 to my kids someday
Not necessarily saying Regan would or wouldn’t have won. Just that she was capable of hitting 2:03 in 2019/presumably 2020, had a couple years of uncertainty, and now is back in amazing form. Both athletes are amazing and their races will continue to be one for the ages!
LOVE seeing a happy healthy Regan! There’s no doubt in my mind she can go 2:01 at the trials/games!!
If you really love a happy healthy regan you would just leave your post at that and not add a time expectation
Amen to this.
preach
I’m not sure if you’re a truly fan 🙄
Caption currently says “the third sub-2:03 swim of her career,” which, even if the number was correct (2:04), is still incorrect. She’s been sub-2:04 four times as of tonight.
Minor correction: She’s been sub 2:04 four times. She did it twice at 2019 worlds. The record swim was done in the semis. She then went 2:03.6 in the finals.