Team USA is already making waves ahead of the summer games.
Three-time Olympic medalist Regan Smith heads into her second Games next month after her dominant victory in the women's 100m backstroke at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis on Tuesday night.
Regan Smith reacts after setting the world record in the women's 100-meter backstroke final during the U.S. Olympic Team Swimming Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium on June 18, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
But she will show up with some well-earned bragging rights.
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Smith, 22, broke the world record with his first place finish, touching the wall in 57.13 seconds. During last night's semifinals, Smith broke her own American record with a time of 57.47.
“It was part of the plan,” Smith said after the race. “I'm very proud of myself. The back is hard for me sometimes, but to fight like that and get that back means a lot.”
Smith made it look easy, overcoming Australian Kaylee McKeown's record of 57.33 set last year.
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Regan Smith during the women's 100-meter backstroke final medal ceremony at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials on June 18, 2024, in Indianapolis. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
At Smith's first Olympic Games in Tokyo, the former Stanford swimmer won bronze in the women's 100 meters and silver in the women's 200 butterfly. She also won silver in the women's 4×100 meter relay.
This followed a big year for the Minnesota native, who set the world record in the 100 backstroke at the 2019 world championships when she was just 17 years old.
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Regan Smith competes in the women's 100 backstroke semifinal during the US Olympic Swimming Team Trials on June 17, 2024. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
“This is incredibly rewarding,” Smith said Tuesday. “When I was a teenager, I hadn't done much. There wasn't any pressure on me. I was always the youngest. Nobody expected much from me. I could do it without fear.”
“It's about time,” he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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