Regan Smith adds world record at World Aquatics Swimming World Cup

Regan Smith broke her second 100m backstroke world record this year, this time doing so in a short course pool on Friday.

Smith clocked 54.41 seconds at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Incheon, South Korea.

She lowered the previous record of 54.56 set by Australian Kaylee McKeown on Sept. 26. Last week in Shanghai, Smith went out faster (26.59 to 26.67 on Friday) and missed the world record, going 54.89.

“I kind of died coming home last week, so I wanted to clean that up tonight,” she said.

Short course meets are held in 25-meter pools rather than 50-meter pools used for the Olympics.

Smith previously broke McKeown’s 100m back world record in a 50-meter pool at the Olympic Trials in June, going 57.13.

Smith, an eight-time Olympic medalist, and McKeown, who swept the backstroke golds at the last two Games, were expected to duel across the three-stop World Cup series.

McKeown won their first head-to-head in Shanghai last week in the 50m back, then withdrew from the meet. She posted that she was putting her mental health first and was overdue for a break.

“She’s incredible, and she is so consistent, so good at executing,” Smith said of McKeown on Friday. “I wish she could be here because I just think we push each other so much.”

Smith became the second American to break a world record in as many days after Kate Douglass in the 200m breaststroke on Thursday.

The World Cup continues Saturday with finals live on Peacock at 6:30 a.m. ET.

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