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Regan Smith (born February 9, 2002) is an American competitive swimmer. As of 2022, Smith trains under Bob Bowman with the Arizona State University professional training group. She is the world junior record holder in the women's long course 100-meter backstroke and 200-meter backstroke and a former world record holder in the long course 100-meter backstroke and the 200-meter backstroke. She competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in three events representing the United States, winning a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke, a silver medal in the 200-meter butterfly, and a silver medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay. At the World Aquatics Championships, she won individual gold medals in the 200-meter backstroke in 2019 and the 100-meter backstroke in 2022 and a relay gold medal swimming the backstroke leg of the 4x100 medley relay in 2023.

Background
Smith started competing collegiately for Stanford University in the fall of 2021. Following the end of the 2021–2022 collegiate season, she left Stanford University and started training with the Sun Devils, based at Arizona State University.

Early career
When Smith was twelve, she achieved multiple new age-group records and won medals at high school state meets. Following these successes, she joined Apple Valley’s Riptide Swim Club and began to receive coaching from Mike Parratto, who is known for coaching twelve-time Olympic medalist Jenny Thompson.

While she was fourteen, Smith competed at meets with Olympians such as Missy Franklin (at the time the world record holder for the 200-meter backstroke) and Katie Ledecky (the world record holder for the 400-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyle, and 1500-meter freestyle). In 2016 she became a member of the U.S. National Junior Team and set national age group records in the 100-yard backstroke, 100-yard butterfly, and 100-meter backstroke. She was named the 2016 Age Group Swimmer of the Year for 13–14 year-olds.

After attending Stanford and competing collegiately for one season, Smith made the switch to turn professional. When asked about the switch from collegiate athlete to professional athlete, Smith said "I am postponing my college degree to maximize my athletic competitive window." With this switch, Smith believes she will be able to increase her training intensity. Training with the Sun Devils is under the leadership of Bob Bowman, the previous coach of Michael Phelps. Smith mentioned her future goals saying, "Bob's leadership and training will have me exactly where I want to be for Paris 2024."

TYR Pro Swim Series
In March 2023, at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Smith achieved a pair of personal best times, first placing fourth in the 200-meter freestyle with a 1:58.14 on day two, then winning the 100-meter butterfly with a time of 56.60 seconds on day three.

In April 2023, the next leg of the TYR Pro Swim Series took place in Westmont, Illinois. Smith qualified for finals in four events, the 200-meter butterfly, 100-meter backstroke, 200-meter backstroke, and 100-meter butterfly. Smith won each of these events and set one US Open record. Smith swam a time of 2:04.76 in the 200-meter backstroke to break the US Open record.

Sun Devil Open
In June, at the 2023 Sun Devil Open in Tempe, Arizona, Smith swam a personal best in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:03.87, breaking the American record in the process and becoming the first American woman under the 2:04 mark. Her time in the 200-meter butterfly was the fourth-fastest time in women's history. Smith also swam a personal best in the 200-meter individual medley with a time of 2:08.48.

World Championships
At the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Smith collected five total medals for Team USA, four individual medals and one relay medal. In her first finals event of the competition, Smith won a silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 57.78. During the next day's semi-finals, Smith swam the 50-meter backstroke in 27.10, setting an American record. Smith swam two events in the next finals session, the 200-meter butterfly and 50-meter backstroke. She earned bronze with a time of 2:06.58 in the 200-meter butterfly and silver in the 50-meter backstroke with a 27.11. Smith earned silver in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:04.94. Smith's second place finishes in the backstroke events were behind the current world record holder in the 200-meter backstroke and 100-meter backstroke, Australia's Kaylee McKeown. For her final race of the competition, Smith swam the backstroke leg of the 4x100 medley relay with a split of 57.68. With a time of 3:52.08, the team consisting of Smith, Lilly King, Gretchen Walsh, and Kate Douglass, won the gold medal.

U.S. Open Championships
At the 2023 U.S. Open Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, Smith's performance was highlighted by her results on the final night. She swam the 200-meter backstroke and 200-meter butterfly during finals to win gold in both by a little over two seconds. She went a 2:04.27 in the 200-meter backstroke to go a championship record by over two seconds, set by herself the previous year. In the 200-meter butterfly she went a 2:06.72 to beat the championship record from 1999 by about half a second. The previous meet record was held by Susan O'Neill. The previous night Smith also won the 100-meter backstroke in a time of 58.16. She had two personal best times at the meet, in the 400-meter individual medley and 200-meter individual medley. Placing third and fifth in each event respectively in times of 4:38.77 and 2:09.50.