INDIANAPOLIS — Regan Smith crushed the women’s 200-meter butterfly final at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials at Lucas Oil Stadium, winning the race by nearly a second to lock herself into the event for Team USA at the Paris Olympics.
Smith — the final’s top qualifier by 1.19 seconds after Wednesday’s semifinals — was in second after the first 150 meters, trailing Indiana native Alex Shackell. But 22-year-old Smith turned on the speed for the final 50 to pull ahead and win with a time of 2:05.70. She was about two seconds shy of her 2:03.87 American record from 2023.
Shackell, 17, finished second with a time of 2:06.69 and should join Smith in the event in Paris as a first-time Olympian. Her brother, 19-year-old Aaron, won the men’s 400-meter freestyle Saturday to qualify for the Games as well.
“Three 200 flys in a row is pretty challenging, so I just wanted to do the best I could in that race,” Shackell said. “Just get top two and not focus on my time [because] it was slower than my last race. But I made the team so it doesn’t really matter.”
Smith — a 22-year-old former three-time Olympic medalist — already guaranteed she’d be a two-time Olympian after breaking the 100-meter backstroke world record earlier at trials. She also has the 200-meter backstroke semifinals later Thursday night.
At the 2021 Tokyo Games, she won silver in the 200 fly and bronze in the 100 back.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Regan Smith wins Olympic trials 200 fly, holds off Alex Shackell
