2022 PRO SWIM SERIES – WESTMONT
- March 2-5, 2022
- FMC Aquatic Center, Westmont, Illinois
- Start Times (CST): 9:00 am prelims / 6:00 pm finals
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
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To the casual fan, 17 year-old Claire Curzan has primarily been know for her butterfly prowess. The TAC Titans star made the US Olympic team last summer in the 100 fly, earned a silver medal as part of the 400 medley relay, and then broke the American Record in the 100 yard butterfly just a few weeks ago.
But she’s certainly no slouch at other strokes and distances, and tonight at the Westmont PSS, she made her mark in the women’s 200 back, not only winning the event, but also moving up to #5 all-time among US women in the 17-18 age group.
All-Time 17-18 US Performers, Women’s 200 Back
- Regan Smith (2019) – 2:03.35
- Missy Franklin (2012) – 2:04.06
- Phoebe Bacon (2021) – 2:06.40
- Isabelle Stadden (2021) – 2:07.28
- Claire Curzan (2022) – 2:07.32
Again, Curzan’s swim tonight wasn’t entirely out of nowhere. She’s the #2 performer all-time in the 15-16 age group in the yards version of this event, with her lifetime best of 1:49.25 sitting only behind Smith’s 1:48.30.
She also owns several NAG records in the 100 back, both in yards and meters.
Still, she hadn’t raced this particular event all that much lately. Coming into today, her lifetime best was a 2:10.16, which she swam as a 15 year-old in August of 2019. She’s only raced it a handful of times since then, with her best result in the last three years being a 2:11.82 from last May.
The US is incredibly stacked in backstroke, so Curzan may focus on the 100 fly and sprint free (she’s been 24.17/53.55) in long course, but tonight’s swim is a great reminder how strong Curzan is across multiple strokes and distances, despite having not even graduated high school yet.
Speaking of her 100 fly, Curzan raced that event tonight. roughly an hour after the 200 back. She ripped a 56.89. While that’s not a lifetime best — she went 56.20 last April, that’s faster than her time from the Tokyo Olympics, and it moves her to #2 in the 17-18 age group, behind only her fellow Olympian Torri Huske (55.66).
Impressive. Her endurance has improved.
It bodes well for her 100 back in long course.
An amazing swim by Claire. One point of clarification on the top 5. It doesn’t include Elizabeth Beisel. Not sure what her top time was when she was under 18 but at the very least she was a 206.9 at the Olympic Trials as a 15 year old. She may have gone faster but that time should make the top five at the very least.
I know it’s not at all unusual for top butterflyers to be top backstrokers and vice versa, but it seems like there’s an awful lot of them right now, right? Maybe I’m just not remembering correctly, but I don’t think of Kelsi Dahlia wasn’t racing the 100 back and Kathleen Baker’s third event was the IM, not the 100 fly.
Underwaters
Incredible swims tonight for Claire.
Very nice!
🇨🇦 Teenager Summer Macintosh just went a 4:29 400 IM in Toronto!!
WE ARE AWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!