Curzan Sets Short Course 100 Backstroke World Record
The 22-year-old broke Regan Smith's 54.02 mark at the U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials in Westmont.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Swimming
Claire Curzan won the 100-meter backstroke final in 53.92 at the 2026 U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials, breaking Regan Smith's world record of 54.02. She also won the 200 backstroke in 1:57.65, breaking Smith's American record.
Why it matters
The swim is Curzan's first individual world record and makes her the first woman under 54 seconds in the event in short course meters. Smith, who missed a spot in the event at next month's World Championships, lost the record she set in 2024.
The 53.92 final time came after Curzan lowered her prelims time to 55.49 and improved on her previous best of 55.74 set at the 2022 Short Course World Championships. Berkoff finished second in 54.72 and Smith third in 54.82, and the source does not say whether the record will be ratified beyond the trials.
The players
Claire Curzan
A 22-year-old American backstroke swimmer who set the 100-meter short course world record at the 2026 Trials.
Regan Smith
An American backstroke swimmer who set the previous 100-meter short course world record in 2024 and held the American 200 backstroke record.
The details
Curzan led the final from the start and beat Smith head-to-head to set the record. Smith had set the 54.02 mark at the 2024 Short Course World Championships while leading off the U.S. women's 4x100 medley relay.
Timeline
2022: Curzan sets her previous best of 55.74 at the Short Course World Championships.
2024: Smith sets the 54.02 world record at the Short Course World Championships.
2025: Smith matches the record at a World Cup stop in Westmont.
Oct. 30, 2026: Curzan sets the record at the U.S. Short Course World Championship Trials in Westmont.
Season Trajectory
Curzan's 53.92 replaces Regan Smith's 2024 world record of 54.02 set at the Short Course World Championships, reshaping the 100 backstroke record line. Smith's failure to make the event at next month's World Championships means the record now sits with a swimmer who will compete there.
Smith's absence from the 100 backstroke at next month's World Championships means U.S. fans will not see the previous record holder in that event. Curzan's win gives her a place in the event that will be decided at the Championships.
The takeaway
Curzan's record shows how quickly times can move in short course swimming, with her 53.92 coming only two years after her previous best of 55.74.
Further reading
Explore more United States Swimming coverage for context on the national program.
Source note: This article includes information reported by SwimSwam.
