Regan Smith finished her 2025 World Championships with a gold medal and a world record. She led off Team USA's 4×100 meter medley relay with a swim of 57.57 seconds in the backstroke leg.
What happened?
The Americans' gold medal-winning time was 3 minutes, 49.34 seconds, besting the previous record by nearly three tenths of a second.
Regan Smith was joined in the relay by Kate Douglass, Gretchen Walsh, and Torri Huske.
Why it matters for Regan Smith
The result moved Team USA's gold medal count to nine on the final day of competition, pushing it one clear of the Australians.
Regan Smith has now logged 23 medals between World Championship and Olympic competitions, eight of which are gold.
What comes next?
At 23 years old, Regan Smith is on a good pace for her career, with three years remaining until the Olympic "home game" in Los Angeles.
She will be 26 at that point, which is still well within a swimmer's competitive window.
And American distance freestyler Katie Ledecky is still a dominant force at age 28.
The count continues for Regan Smith, who could swim at as many as two more Olympics, with numerous World Championship appearances mixed within that span.
On the final day of competition, Regan Smith told reporters, "It feels really good, ending the season this way with Team USA."
Regan Smith placed second in the 50-meter backstroke, the 100-meter backstroke, the 200-meter backstroke, and the 200-meter butterfly.
Regan Smith claimed five medals in total at the World Championships in Singapore, the same tally she reached in Paris the year prior.
At her current rate of success, Regan Smith could corral many more medals by the end of her career.
Regan Smith's consistent excellence continues to move her up the pantheon of great American swimmers.