PHOENIX — An Olympic-bound swimmer with ties to Arizona State achieved the unthinkable Tuesday night. Regan Smith, 22, put on a record-winning performance in the women's 100-meter backstroke at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Smith recorded a time of 57.13 seconds, besting the previous world records set by Australia's Kaylee McKeown a year ago. Her very own comeback story is sure to inspire many at the upcoming summer games.
Then on Thursday, Smith clinched another Olympic team spot in the women's 200m backstroke by nearly a full second, winning in 2:05.7.
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It's been an up-and-down journey for Smith. She battled self-doubt in previous years.
"I just I didn't want to be there. I wasn't excited. I had no faith in myself. I wanted other people to do it because I thought that they were going to be better off doing it than I was." Smith said after her win.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: La exnadadora de ASU recupera el récord mundial y asegura un viaje a los Juegos Olímpicos
She was setting records at the age of 17 back in 2019. However, by the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, her performance was slumping, and mentally, she was struggling to stay afloat.
"I think I've always had it physically. I think I've always had, like, a God-given natural ability to backstroke, but I just never believed in myself, ever. And that's always going to be a work in progress, I think," Smith said.
To achieve progress, Smith transferred to ASU and engaged in a grueling training schedule with then-swim coach Bob Bowman. She also worked with a sports psychologist to begin to clear the mental roadblocks.
It all led to Tuesday's victory, re-claiming her world record from McKeown.
"Just like, f*** yeah, you know, like, long time coming, you know, like, it's about time," Smith said emphatically.
Heading into the Paris games, Smith says her confidence has never been higher.
"I'm not sure if there was like an aha moment, but I think just every meet that I've been to, I've been consistently feeling more confident myself and more sure of myself," Smith said.
The rivalry between Smith and McKeown has been one of the bigger stories in women’s swimming, and with Smith reclaiming her record from McKeown, it’s sure to be one of the major stories of the Paris games.
