Swimming World presents the video series, the Ross Report. It is a series where our head video producer Andy Ross will travel around the country to tell the stories of the athletes you don’t know much about.
This week’s episode focuses on US National Team member Regan Smith of Riptide Swim Team in Minnesota. Smith was training in Fort Myers at Florida Gulf Coast University with her teammates as she was gearing up for the 2019 World Championships. Smith will be swimming the 200 back only in Gwangju, South Korea later on this month.
Smith has had a good summer as she lowered the world junior record in the 100 back at a low key meet in Indianapolis in June. The 58.45 she swam that weekend put her second in the world for 2019 but she will only be swimming the 200 back in Gwangju. Smith made her debut on Team USA at the 2017 Worlds in Budapest when she was 15 as she placed eighth in the 200 back.
She also recently committed to Stanford, but before she does that she will have an opportunity to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games. Smith says she hasn’t really put a lot of thought into that and is staying focused on the task at hand – the World Championships.
Smith is a favorite to win a medal at World Championships this summer in the 200 back and will challenge the likes of Kylie Masse, Taylor Ruck and Kathleen Baker in the event.
Previous Ross Report episodes:
- #1: Kaersten Meitz
- #2: Zane Grothe
- #3: Division II Indianapolis
- #4: Robert Howard
- #5: Georgia Tech
- #6: Division III Williams
- #7: Caeleb Dressel, Jan Switkowski & Mark Szaranek
- #8: Federica Pellegrini
- #9: Nova Southeastern
- #10: Josh Zuchowski
- #11: Louisville