2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
- The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
- Meet site
- Competition Schedule
- FinaTV Live Stream
- Entry Lists
- Results
17-year-old American Regan Smith backed up her showstopping 2:03.35 World Record from semifinals of the women’s 200 back, winning Gold by well over 2 seconds. Smith posted a time of 2:03.69, which marks the 2nd fastest performance of all-time, and the 2nd sub-2:04 in history.
Regan swam an incredibly gutsy race, taking taking it out in 28.68 and following up with a 30.77 for a stunning 59.45 at the 100 mark. Not only was her 100 split almost a full second faster than her split from her World Record perfromance in semifinals (1:00.37), it would have come in 6th in the individual women’s 100 back from a few days ago. Smith stayed on the very aggressive pace through the 3rd 50, splitting 31.56, which put her at 1:31.01 overall, still .83 seconds under her own WR pace. Smith ‘died’ on the last 50, falling off her pace to split 32.68 coming home. While she did fade signifacantly on the last 50, and it took her over her WR pace, Smith’s last split was still the 3rd fastest in the field.
Here is a split comparison between Smith’s WR semifinal swim, her 2:03.69 finals swim, and Missy Franklin‘s previous WR of 2:04.06.
| REGAN SMITH 2019 WORLD CHAMPS SEMIFINALS | REGAN SMITH 2019 WORLD CHAMPS FINALS | MISSY FRANKLIN 2012 OLYMPIC FINAL |
| 29.06 | 28.68 | 29.53 |
| 31.31 (1:00.37) | 30.77 (59.45) | 30.97 (1:00.50) |
| 31.47 (1:31.84) | 31.56 (1:31.01) | 31.66 (1:32.16) |
| 31.51 | 32.68 | 31.90 |
| 2:03.35 | 2:03.69 | 2:04.06 |
Here is the current top 10 performances of all-time:
- Regan Smith, USA – 2:03.35
- Regan Smith, USA – 2:03.69
- Missy Franklin, USA – 2:04.06
- Missy Franklin, USA – 2:04.76
- Kirsty Coventry, ZIM – 2:04.81
- Anastasia Fesikova, RUS – 2:04.94
- Missy Franklin, USA – 2:05.10
- Kirsty Coventry, ZIM – 2:05.24
- Missy Franklin, USA – 2:05.68
- Emily Seebohm, AUS – 2:05.68
The top seed going into the finals of the women’s 50 back was 27.6
Regan opened her 200 back in a 28.4….TO THE FEET…..OPENING A 200….
No surprise here. And in a good way. I first saw her swim competitive backstroke as a 10 year old and concluded that she should be the model for anyone learning to swim that stroke. And despite going through a growth spurt she’s maintained that stroke quality that looks as much like dancing as swimming. So pleased for her.
Im beginning to wonder if she could be the 4th 100 free leg the Americans need for Tokyo
I’m not sure she’ll be in 52 form a year from now, and with as great as her backstroke is trending (and the need for a flyer), I hope she doesn’t dedicate her training to being a sprint freestyler for 2020.
“I like my heroes to go out in 58”…
No other female swimmer in the women’s 200 m backstroke beat Regan Smith’s time of 2:06.01 (heats) in the heats, semifinals, or final.
Congrats to Regan on her first individual gold medal at a major international championship! The first of many!
Remember my comments from 2013 or 2014 on that site! “Be careful Missy! Regan Smith is coming.” She broke so many age group records. It was sure we had another big swimming star in the making. And not just on backstroke.
But again, please keep the world records for the finals! It’s 200 times better. Sleep in the heats. Wake up a little bit in semifinals. And destroy everybody in final. Anyway that’s what you will have to do next year in Tokyo with many more races on your schedule. Save your energy for the finals like MP knew so… Read more »
Pull a “Rebecca Soni” in the women’s 200 m breaststroke at the 2012 London Olympics. World Record in the semifinals followed by a World Record in the final.
Or, set the WR in the semi’s, then just concentrate on winning the final. Just a thought.
World Records are fun!
Bobo, what’s happening with France? It won plenty golds in major meets not long ago, and now it’s nothing.
Any reason for this?
In this case I genuinely think she just didn’t know how fast she was going in the semis.
I doubt it was an accident. She knew there was a dilemma about the medley relay leadoffs and she wanted to help make the coaches decision easier.
Congratulates a swimmer, scolds the swimmer for not doing something a different way (not better just different), and then takes credit for “discovering” the swimmer (despite posting and saying the same thing every time a NAG goes down)
Welcome back Bobo
“then takes credit for “discovering” the swimmer (despite posting and saying the same thing every time a NAG goes down)”
So true 😁
I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to try and go as fast as possible every time you get in the water. These are elite athletes, they train at least 30-40k a week. They can handle a couple races over the course of a few days. You never know what might happen in the semi/final and you don’t want to look back and think you could’ve gone faster
2.03.00 next year
60.0/63.0
Only 2:03.0? Cmon the girl was out at a 59.4 and still managed to turn in one of the fastest last 50’s in the field. I say 2:01.9 at the rate she’s improving. Hold me to this SwimSwam
Keep an eye on this swimmer. She’s got the ’20 olympics ahead.
Imagine a 200 free next year with Ledecky, R.Smith, Pelligrini, Sjostrom, Titmus, McKeon, Ruck, Oleksiak, Haughey, Yang and hopefully Ikee.