Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports
Tokyo Olympic medalist and backstroke world-record holder Regan Smith is turning professional, leaving Stanford and moving her training base to Arizona State, the swimmer announced Tuesday.
The 20-year-old Smith will join the burgeoning pro group of Sun Devils coach Bob Bowman, who coached Michael Phelps throughout his unparalleled career. Smith, who set the world record in the 200-meter backstroke at FINA World Championships in 2019, also previously held the world mark in the 100-meter backstroke. She won three medals in Tokyo last year—two silver and a bronze—in the 200-meter butterfly, the 400-meter medley relay and the 100-meter backstroke. She also earned a pair of gold medals at the World Championships in Budapest earlier this summer in the 100-meter backstroke and 400-meter medley relay.
Smith is expected to be a mainstay of the United States’ 2024 swimming efforts, but the completion is especially stiff in the backstroke events, where America had the deepest talent pool in the world.
“After spending a substantial part of the last two years on my mental game, it’s time to focus on increasing my training intensity,” Smith said in a press release. “I’m entirely confident that Bob’s leadership and training will have me exactly where I want to be for Paris 2024. I believe that, in the long run, this is the best way for me to continue to develop as an athlete.”
Smith, from Minneapolis, swam one season at Stanford, helping the Cardinal to a third-place finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
