Get ready for a thrilling swim story! Regan Smith has just shattered her own American record in the 200-meter butterfly, clocking an incredible 2:00.28 at the 2025 Swimming World Cup in Carmel, Indiana. But here's where it gets controversial... this time, she also broke the US Open Record, leaving her previous mark of 2:01.00 in the dust.
The event, held from October 10-12, 2025, saw Smith dominate the women's 200 butterfly final. She touched the wall first, setting a new personal best and claiming the World Cup and US Open Record titles. Finishing behind her were Alex Shackell, Ellen Walshe, Brittany Castelluzzo, Emily Richards, Emily Wolf, Hadassah Vohs, and Macartney Mahler, respectively.
Smith's achievement is even more impressive when you consider the history of the event. The US Open Record had stood since 2015, set by Cammile Adams at the Duel in the Pool. But Smith's new time of 2:00.28 not only beats Adams' record but also improves upon her own American Record from the SCM World Championships in 2024.
Let's break down the splits to understand the magnitude of Smith's performance. Her 50-meter splits were 27.24, 30.61, and 30.92, with a final 31.51 to finish the race. Compare that to her previous American Record splits of 27.57, 30.87, 31.13, and 31.43, and you can see the improvement across the board.
And this is the part most people miss: Smith isn't just a short-course specialist. She also holds the long-course American and US Open Records in the 200 fly. Her best time of 2:03.84 was achieved at the Paris Olympics, where she won silver. She backed that up with a 2:03.87 at the Sun Devil Open in 2023.
With her latest feat, Smith joins an elite club. Only two other women have broken the 2-minute barrier in the 200 fly: Mireia Belmonte in 2014 and Summer McIntosh last year with a stunning 1:59.32. Will Smith be the third to achieve this feat? Only time will tell, but one thing's for sure: she's on a roll!
Here's a look at the all-time top performances in the women's SCM 200 fly:
- Summer McIntosh, 1:59.32 (2024)
- Mireia Belmonte, 1:59.61 (2014)
- Regan Smith, 2:00.28 (2025)
- Zige Liu, 2:00.78 (2010)
- Katinka Hosszu, 2:01.12 (2014)
What do you think? Is Smith on track to become the next sub-2-minute swimmer? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments below!
