2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials
WOMEN’S 200 BACK – Final
- World Record: 1:57.33, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2025
American Record: 1:57.86, Regan Smith – 2025U.S. Open Record: 1:57.87, Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2025- Beijing ‘A’ Qualification Time: 2:05.54
Top 4 Finishers
- Claire Curzan (UVA) — 1:57.65
- Regan Smith (TXLA) — 1:58.49
- Phoebe Bacon (NCAP) — 2:01.18
- Isabelle Stadden (AQJT) — 2:01.94
Claire Curzan continued her strong weekend in Westmont, setting a new American and U.S. Open Record in the SCM women’s 200 backstroke, touching in a 1:57.65. That broke the previous American Record of a 1:57.86 set by Regan Smith last fall at the World Cup stop in Toronto. The previous U.S. Open Record was a 1:57.87 set by Australia’s Kaylee McKeown last fall at the World Cup stop in Westmont.
Split Comparison
| Curzan – New AR | Smith – Old AR | ||
| 50 | 27.68 | 27.79 | 27.93 |
| 100 | 29.47 | 29.71 | 29.75 |
| 150 | 30.27 | 30.26 | 29.82 |
| 200 | 30.23 | 30.1 | 30.37 |
| 1:57.65 | 1:57.86 | 1:57.87 |
Curzan was out under record pace as she was faster than Smith and McKeown on the front half of the race. She was well under record pace despite being slower than the two on the 3rd 50.
Curzan becomes the #2 performer all-time in the event, only behind McKeown’s World Record of a 1:57.33 that McKeown swam last fall at the World Cup stop in Toronto. Earlier this week, Curzan swam to a World Record in the women’s SCM 100 back with a 53.92, becoming the first woman to swim sub-54 seconds in the event. That swim was her first ever World Record.
