Regan Smith claimed the 200-meter butterfly final gold at the 2025 Swimming World Cup, setting a new American short-course meter record with 2:00.28.
The Olympic swimmer broke her own American record of 2:01.00 set last year at the SC World championships.
## What happened?
Regan Smith blasted halfway through the race to post a new record, lowering a decade-long U.S. open record of 2:03.39 set by Cammille Adams in 2015.
She opted out of her expertise event, the 50 backstroke final, to focus on the 200-meter butterfly.
Regan Smith is currently the third fastest swimmer in the 200 fly after Summer McIntosh and Mireia Belmonte.
## Why it matters for Regan Smith
The win marks a significant milestone for Regan Smith, who aims to break the 1:59 sub at the next two stops of the World Cup.
She will face strong competition from Canadian prodigy Summer McIntosh, who holds the world record and the second fastest time in the fly event.
## What comes next?
Regan Smith will compete in the remaining stops of the World Cup, looking to improve her times and break more records.
She will be joined by other top swimmers, including Gretchen Walsh, who won the women’s individual medley with a new world cup record.
Gretchen Walsh posted a time of 55.91, surpassing Katinka Hosszu’s time of 56.51 set at the 2017 World Cup.
Regan Smith's performance has set her up for a strong showing at the rest of the World Cup.
The 2025 Swimming World Cup will continue with the next stop, where Regan Smith will look to build on her momentum.