Jack Alexy and Claire Curzan led the latest assault on the world record book on day 3 at Team USA Short Course World Championship Trials in Westmont, Illinois.

In just two days in domestic waters, five global s/c standards have fallen just over a month out from the World Aquatics winter s/c showcase in Beijing - that timing and practice a nod to a much bigger parallel line when Americans seek home-Olympics selection for Team USA on the cusp of the Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

With one day to go in Westmont, the meet might conclude as a member of a relatively small club of domestic events down the decades that has witnessed so many global marks in so few days.

Curzan's 53.92 (26.36) victory in the 100m backstroke - the first sub-54 in history - was followed by Katharine Berkoff, whose 54.72 meant that the former World record holder Regan Smith (54.02, 26.25, 2024, matched 2025, via a 26.45 split) will not race the event in Beijing: she was 0.1 the wrong side of Berkoff:

Women's 100m backstroke

Consider the speed through this timewarp: the first official men's 100 back s/c World record was set at 52.71 by Mark Tewksbury - at the first opportunity to claim the mark, March 16, 1991, World Cup, Berlin - a little over a year before he claimed the Olympic title for Canada at Barcelona 1992, Katharine Berkoff's dad David - taking bronze that day four years after silver at Seoul 1988.

Teammate to other 2024-2025-2026 World-record setters Kate Douglass and Gretchen Walsh, Curzan is the latest of the Virginia Cavaliers (and associated post-college pro teamsters) guided by coach Todd de Sorbo, Tyler Fenwick and assistants to catch a wave of revolutionary sprint speed. Curzan also finished second in the 50 'fly on day 3 in Westmont, Walsh, the world-record holder, the winner in a league of her own.

In her fourth year at college, Curzan is a World record holder for the first time in her career, but her achievement builds another line in a staggering new shelf in the pantheon of super squads: Virginia swimmers now hold 19 current world records.

A four-times World champion at the 'intercalated' Doha 2024 long-course showcase, Curzan looks back at her Olympic debut fondly: silver with teammates in the 4x100m medley. She then missed the cut for Paris 2024, and is aiming to be there when LA hosts a home Games in 2028.

In the little pool, Curzan has been a tour de force, both at college/NCAA level and at World s/c championships, her podium record including four UYSA relay golds, 6 silver and three bronzes - all three individual backstroke races among her five solo medals in the collection.

Curzan is off to Beijing to add to that impressive tally at the showcase December 1-6. The US roster will feature 40 swimmers - 20 men and 20 women.

Alexy's First World Record

One of them will be Jack Alexy, who is the fourth American swimmer in the past two days to make their debut in the World record books.

Alexy, coached by Dave Durden at CAL, raced well inside world-record p[ace to half way and maintained that gain on the fastest of the splits belonging to the shared global mark the American replaced, as the record chart and result shows:

Men's 100m freestyle

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