On This Day:

Regan Smith, of the USA, will race her semi-final of the 100m backstroke here in Singapore this evening on the sixth anniversary of her first World record n the event.

Back in 2019, Smith was a newcomer to the ranks of World record holders. She was not in the 100m solo event, but leading the USA off in the medley relay on this day six years ago, she became the first woman in history to race below 58 seconds, with a huge 57.57 lead-off split. That standard was set precisely on the first birthday of fellow American Kathleen Baker's 58.00 global mark.

Since all of that back then, Kaylee McKeown, of Australia, has. Cane to the fore: she first claimed the 100m record in 57.45 at Olympic trials in Adelaide in 2021, and then lowered that to 57.33 at the 2023 World Cup n Budapest. Smith struck back with a 57.13, the current Wold record, at U.S. Olympic Trials last year.

In major competition, McKeown has been the backstroke queen to beat: in Paris she joined Roland Matthes as only the second member - and first woman - in the club of those who claimed the Olympic backstroke double at two Games, retaining both the 100 and 200m titles she first claimed in Tokyo.

This evening, Smith and McKeown will rejoin battle in search of a place in the final of the 100m back.

World records set this day throughout history:

Also in the World Champs Diary for readers who sign up for free content:

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• On This Day In History - Day By Day... lists, and some stories from the past, like these:

On This Day - The Pioneers On Whose Shoulders The Class of Singapore ’25 Stands

The pioneers who paved the way for the class of Singapore 2025 World titles did not have nearly the same shots at recognition, as the stories of Lennie De Nijs, Ted Stickles, and Satoko Tanaka confirm…

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

July 22: Today marks the 25th anniversary of Inge de Bruijn's World-record victory for The Netherlands in the 100m butterfly at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Her three-golds triumph at the Games was the climax of a bull run on World records in 2000:

The Day De Bruijn Launched A Bull Run Of World Records En Route To Triple Olympic Gold

Between May 26 and May 28, 2000, the Dutch sprinter established four of the eight world records she set between May and July that year en route to triple gold at Sydney 2000. The generation-busting times she clocked late in her career stand the test of time

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Today also marks the 24th anniversary of Ian Thorpe's stunning 3:40.17 World record in the 400m freestyle ahead of teammate Grant Hackett (3:42.51) at the Fukuoka 2001 World Championships for one of a record six gold medals. His other victories unfolded in the 200m and 800m freestyle, also in World record times (200, 1:44.06 ahead of a 1:45.81 from De Bruijn's teammate and Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband; 800, 7:39.16, the first sub-7:40 in history, ahead of a 7:40.34 from teammate Hackett), and all three men's relays, the 4x100 and 4x200 free and 4x100 medley with Aussie mates who contributed to the Dolphins first victory over the United States on the medals table for the first time in history at World titles. The second time it happened, the best swimmer sin the world were back in Fukuoka, two years ago. 

Thorpey's epic home Olympics and what happened next:

Thorpe’s Dolphin Thunder From Down Under 25 Years Ago This Week: 3 Days, 3 World Records

A quarter of a century ago this week, Ian Thorpe was busy setting a World record a day for three days at Olympic Trials. Plus, our memory of Act 1, Scene 1 at Sydney 2000; and our celebration of his career when he retired in 2006

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

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