The buzz from the Paris Olympics might have faded, but the excitement is far from over, especially at the Swimming World Cup. Leon Marchand and Regan Smith are back in action, reminding us why they’re such big names in swimming. Marchand, fresh off his incredible four-gold medal haul at the Olympics, has shown he’s not slowing down. And let’s not forget Smith, who brought home two golds and three silvers from Paris—she’s ready to make a splash again!

On night two of the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Shanghai, Marchand powered through the men’s 200m individual medley, clocking an astonishing 1:50.30. This swim not only earned him the gold but also smashed multiple records, including the World Cup, French, and European records. Marchand’s talent, as a swimmer shines through at the age of 22, and his experiences, at Arizona State University, have undoubtedly molded him into a rounded athlete who commands our respect and admiration.

Regan Smith didn’t let the spotlight shift away from her either. In the women’s 100m backstroke final, she posted a personal best of 54.89 seconds, snagging the gold and breaking the previous World Cup record of 55.23 held by Japan’s Shiho Sakai since 2009. With Australian star Kaylee McKeown sitting this one out for mental health reasons, Smith seized the moment.

Regan’s performance ties her with teammate Gretchen Walsh, who also hit 54.89 earlier in the day. This achievement places Smith among the top contenders in history for this event and makes her the second American ever to go under the 55-second mark. The night was truly a show of talent, with Beata Nelson taking silver and Canada’s Ingrid Wilm grabbing bronze, highlighting just how competitive this event really is! But other events were no less!

Leon Marchand and Smith shine, while others also break records

Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey kicked off the day with an impressive performance in the 400 IM, showing she means business. She won her heat by nearly 17 seconds, finishing with a time of 4:28.03. But that wasn’t all; American swimmer Charlie Clark also had a great day in the men’s 1500m freestyle. He built up a solid lead early on and finished strong, winning in 14:40.57—almost eight seconds ahead of Australia’s Benjamin Goedemans, who touched in 14:48.46.

In the men’s 50m backstroke, Australia’s Isaac Cooper really shone. The talented 20-year-old outpaced some seasoned swimmers, taking the gold in 22.75 seconds. The women’s 200m freestyle featured the world record holder Siobhan Haughey, who had to dig deep against Poland’s Kasia Wasick. After trailing Wasick early on, Haughey pulled ahead to win in 1:51.46, almost two seconds ahead of Harvey, who raced back to take second at 1:53.36.

Then there was Kate Douglass, who returned to the pool looking to make a splash in the women’s 50m butterfly. Douglass now ranks fourth all-time in this event, trailing legends like Therese Alshammar, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, and Sarah Sjostrom. It was truly an exciting day filled with fantastic races and remarkable achievements!