Olympic Trials Day 6: Regan Smith Returns to Top Seed in 200 Back

Regan Smith -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

U.S. Olympic Trials Day 6: Regan Smith Return to Top Seed Position

The American women are going to have to fight tooth and nail through the final of the event – just to qualify for the semifinals was a half of second faster than in was in 2021. The semifinal just proved that fact – with the top three finishers within a second differential of each other.

The first heat of the final featured Rhyan White, Katie Grimes and Pheobe Bacon, who all came to win tonight.

Bacon was out first at the 50 meter mark but not by much. Grimes and White were hot on her heals chasing her through the entirety of the heat. The last 50 had the three women in a close stroke for stroke synchrony, but it was Bacon who touched the wall first with a time of 2:07.22.

Grimes was second with a time of 2:07.75 and White was third with a time of 2:08.63. They will be seeded in the second, fourth and seventh positions going into Friday’s final.

Top seed Isabelle Stadden stepped up to the blocks to lead off the final heat of the semifinal with Regan Smith – who took to the water for her second swim of the night, less than an hour apart.

Stadden was conservative to start out, coming in 5^th at the 100-meter mark but consistently holding her spot there until the end of the race with a final time of 2:08.40.

Smith had a controlled race, most likely feeling some fatigue from the 200 meter butterfly prior. But with the goal of making it back, she accomplished the name of that game with a time of 2:06.41 – which will seed her in the first place position going into the finals.

Meanwhile, Claire Curzan took command of the second-place position in a time of 2:07.47. Her swim will seed her third coming into the final on Friday.

Teagan O’Dell and Kennedy Noble also had impressive swims in this heat. They finished with times of 2:07.97 and 2:08.87, both significant improvements from their times this morning. They will come into finals in the fifth and eighth spots, respectively.

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