While it won’t feel the same as meets going into the coronavirus lockdown, World Record holder Regan Smith and her Riptide Swim Team training partners will get on the blocks for an intrasquad time trial on Friday in Minneapolis.
Smith downplayed the event, saying it was “basically a practice with pads on the wall.”
The entire timeline is expected to be about 80 minutes long, and Smith says that she won’t be suited or on any sort of rest for the event. The racing will be done in yards.
While the event won’t be of the same scale as some of the intrasquads we’ve seen, where for example in North Carolina we saw Claire Curzan go under National Age Group Records, there will still be interest in results for swimming’s new worldwide wunderkind a year out, to the day, from the start of the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
Smith is tentatively scheduled to race the 100 fly and 200 fly.
The team officially returned to training on June 1.
Smith has finished her high school career and is scheduled to begin studying at and competing for Stanford this fall, though it’s still not entirely clear what athletics will look like for the Cardinal this fall. Freshmen, sophomores, and new transfer students are scheduled to be on campus during the fall quarter, which is scheduled to begin on September 14, and then learn remotely until the summer. The school has not yet decided what, exactly, that plan will mean for student-athletes.
Last summer, the 18-year old Smith won World Championships in both the 200 back and as part of the American 400 medley relay. She broke individual World Records in both the 200 back and on the leadoff leg of that medley relay, which also broke a World Record as a ream.
Not entirely related, but is Ruck supposed to return to Stanford in the fall?
When we asked her, she was still uncertain. And, everyone ‘around’ her that we talk to have told us that it’s genuine uncertainty – she’s waiting for some more definite answers about what training will be like, and I don’t think Stanford actually knows the answers to those questions yet.
My read: I think if Stanford gives her confidence that they’ll be back in the water with free access to training to get done what she needs to get done for Tokyo, she’ll be back. I think if it’s less than that, I think she’ll stay in Toronto, where she believes that the government will support full training for Olympic-level athletes, regardless of what the situation looks like more generally.
Just looking at her times across strokes and courses. Surely she can fake a 50 breast. She’d have an insane 200 IM.
She could win another gold medal just like Caeleb could.
Maybe an even better 400 IM. Probably more a Conger/Shields/Coughlin type though who will avoid the devil’s stroke at all costs though.
Will potential records be eligible for ratification if set?
I doubt it. Times swum in sanctioned meets in July would not be eligible for any regional or national considerations, just LSC only.
Thanks!
Short course. On the same day, Aquajets is hosting MN’s first sanctioned virtual meet. A few teams will compete in the same events at their own facility, and times will be combined by Aquajets. Very strict safety protocols are in place. Not sure if there will be any fast swims, but it’s good to see the gradual and safe return of competition.
Yes, less than a year to go until the trials and time to start the training cycle.
Cool! Is it in short course or long course?
Just looked at the LSC’s website and the sanction/meet sheet. It’s at Riptide’s facility, so it’s SCY.