USA Swimming has officially ratified each of the three national age group records Claire Curzan set at her team’s intrasquad meet held earlier this month. Curzan, just 15, unofficially broke four national age group records in the SCY 50 free, 100 fly and 100 free, due to USA Swimming’s time restrictions during the month of July. However, Curzan’s swims will officially count as NAG records, as listed in its times database.
Regarding her records that weren’t official at the time, Claire Curzan said:
“I didn’t go into the meet expecting much except that I was excited to race. Getting NAG times is always an honor and so I was disappointed when some people referenced they may not count. I know that I just turned 16 so I will have more opportunities in the near future.”
“It was definitely nice getting back because racing in practice is one thing, but being able to put on a knee skin and get up on the blocks and race people is totally different. It has been really nice to get back,” Curzan told Swimming World about her swims that weekend.
Claire Curzan is an up-and-coming high school junior for the TAC Titans in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Women’s 100 Freestyle All-Time Rankings (15-16)
- 47.23, Claire Curzan, 2020
- 47.49, Gretchen Walsh, 2019
- 47.73, Simone Manuel, 2013
- 47.80, Dagny Knutson, 2008
- 47.88, Isabel Ivey, 2016
Women’s 100 Butterfly All-Time Rankings (15-16)
- 50.03, Claire Curzan, 2020
- 51.08, Beata Nelson, 2014
- 51.29, Torri Huske, 2019
- 51.48, Olivia Bray, 2017
- 51.63, Regan Smith, 2018
15-16 Women’s 50 Free All-Time Rankings:
- 21.51, Claire Curzan, 2019
- 21.82, Gretchen Walsh, 2018
- 21.95, Torri Huske, 2019
- 22.04, Simone Manuel, 2013
- 22.04, Kate Douglass, 2016
Claire Curzan had been out of the water for nearly six weeks before TAC Titans was able to get back to the pool to train. With USA Swimming recommended guidelines in place, Curzan has been training just two hours a day at 9 – 11 a.m. as well as three dryland sessions a week since May. She had taken on running during her time out of the water, and was able to swim in backyard pools while strapped to a tether.
During the quarantine, the main focus was stroke maintenance rather than any aerobic work, so when she got back to full training she wouldn’t feel like a fish out of water.
“I definitely think the tether stuff really helped, keeping my feel for the water and making sure my strokes were technically pretty good. Getting back into the full practices transition wasn’t that bad.”
Unfair! We have to abide by the rules, but this team chose to have an unsanctioned meet. They knew times wouldn’t count. Our team has been waiting for official approval, why bother if you can go against them and still get your times counted?!
I agree, this is completely unacceptable! Unsanctioned = Unofficial. Not complicated…
It was sanctioned. You can certainly make the argument that they shouldn’t count as NAG records, but you can’t argue that it was not sanctioned…..