Regan Smith and Kate Douglass have already made a big name in swimming, winning many awards and representing the U.S. in international competitions. With her excellent backstroke and butterfly, Regan set world records and won Olympic medals. Kate is no less than excellent at freestyle and backstroke and has also had great success. They became good friends through their shared experiences in swimming, training, and cheering each other on at competitions. But after that close finish where Douglass won by just a tiny margin, you have to wonder: is their friendship still smooth sailing, or did it take a dive?

After an electrifying three-stop series, Regan Smith and Kate Douglass were nearly inseparable in the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup standings. Both athletes put on their best performances and broke multiple world records. Before the championship in Singapore, Smith set the world record in the 100m backstroke. Everyone expected her to do the same in the 2024 World Championships, and Smith didn’t disappoint, and Kate Douglass shattered the World Record. This might very well put her neck-to-neck with rival Kate Douglas.

Regan Smith and Kate Douglass Gave their all in the thriller race for the world title

In an extraordinary display of skill, Regan Smith set a new 200m backstroke world record with 1:58.83, only to end up a mere 0.1 points behind Douglass, whose final score of 178.5 secured her the title. With Douglas on a winning spree, Smith had to go all out to ensure the title. However, a millisecond wrote her fate with the time merely hanging by a thread.

In the 200-meter backstroke, Smith broke the world mark at 1:58.83, eliminating Kaylee McKeown’s previous record of 1:58.94 from November 2020. Douglass, on the other hand, secured US$100,000 (S$132,600) for her individual championship and a total of US$184,000 overall for acing all 22 of her heats and finals, remarked to The Sunday Times: “It’s been a unique and fun experience, something I’ve never done before.”

Reflecting on the effort, Smith noted, “I knew that I’d have to break the world record if I wanted to pass Kate in the overalls, and I couldn’t quite do it. I’m a tenth of a point behind her. But we have been having so much fun over the course of these three stops, pushing each other. So it’s been a blast. This is a World Cup. Is so much fun, and I want to keep doing it in future years.” Smith will return in six weeks to compete in Budapest’s December World Short Course Championships. She now ends the World Cup circuit with world records in the 100- and 200-meter backstroke and might want to secure her legacy in December.

What does the future hold for Regan Smith and Kate Douglass ahead of Budapest’s World Short Course Championships?

After holding the US flag high in the Swimming World Cup in Singapur, both swimmers have their sights set on the upcoming Short Course Championships. Douglass mentioned her excitement about participating, calling the World Cup an experience unlike any other. Smith, brimming with enthusiasm for Budapest, said, “Life is too short to take stuff like this so seriously… My goal at short course worlds is to swim fast and enjoy it.”

Douglass reflected on her journey at the World Cup. She stated, “It was a lot of fun. This is something I’ve never really done before. I like this experience. There’s no other meet; you get all these other international swimmers and just do this whole experience together. And I think it makes swimming a little bit more fun than usual.”

With fresh records and a taste for friendly rivalry, Smith and Douglass seem primed to continue pushing boundaries in the pool.