Can Regan Smith Join Sub-2:00 Club in 200 Butterfly as World Cup Resumes
A little more than a decade ago, Mireia Belmonte made history when she became the first woman to break the two-minute barrier in the short-course version of the 200-meter butterfly. The Spaniard accomplished the feat when she clocked 1:59.61 at the 2014 World Short Course Championships in Qatar, and that performance endured as the world record until late last year.
At the 2024 World Short Course Champs in Budapest, Belmonte was bounced from the record book when Canadian Summer McIntosh joined her in the sub-2:00 club. In what was a much-anticipated showing, the 18-year-old McIntosh touched the wall in 1:59.32 and secured her first world record in the event. There was hope McIntosh would threaten the standard at this year’s World Cup series, but illness has unfortunately forced the multi-time Olympic champion to withdraw from the three-stop competition.
Still, as the World Cup opens its second leg in Westmont (Ill.) on Friday, the 200 butterfly is not without firepower. American Regan Smith is the top seed in the event, and is coming off an American-record effort during the Carmel (Ind.) stop. On the way to victory last week, Smith recorded a swim of 2:00.28, good for the third-fastest perforrmance of all-time and a victory over Alex Shackell (2:02.51).
Could the 200 butterfly soon feature a third member of the sub-2:00 club? With Smith just missing inclusion in Carmel, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Team USA veteran further lower her American record and join exclusive company. Smith is coming off a strong summer in which she earned four silver medals in solo action at the World Championships, and helped the United States to a world record in the 400 medley relay.
Smith has always been known to produce fast in-season times and Carmel was likely just a launching point for faster performances during the final two legs of the World Cup. Although matchups with Aussie Kaylee McKeown in the 100 backstroke and 200 backstroke will be highlights of the weekend, Smith’s pursuit of unique territory in the 200 butterfly will also be an intriguing storyline.
