FLASH! Claire Curzan Drops World Record in 100 Backstroke Upset Over Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith
The women’s 100 backstroke final at the U.S. Short Course World Championship finals featured the woman who holds the world record in both short course and long course plus another who has collected medals in the event at every major meet for the past four years. Those two, Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff, were the favorites to secure spots on the U.S. team bound for Beijing, but Claire Curzan had other ideas.
The 22-year-old Curzan pulled off an upset win Friday evening in Westmont, Ill., dominating the 100 back final from start to finish. Curzan emerged a half-bodylength ahead off the start and extended her lead off all three turns, leaving Smith and Berkoff unable to make up the gap. In the process, Curzan lowered the world record, swimming a time of 53.92 to become the first woman ever under 54 seconds. That knocked a tenth off the previous record of 54.02 that Smith set twice in 2024.
The world record marked the first individual global standard of Curzan’s career. Curzan, a senior at the University of Virginia, qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 in the 100 butterfly but has become a standout backstroker in the past few years. Curzan swept the backstroke events at the lightly-attended World Championships in February 2024, and she won bronze in the 200-meter back at the 2025 global meet. She has previously won 13 medals at Short Course Worlds, five individual and eight on relays.
The biggest surprise of the event was the margin of victory as Curzan ended up two tenths ahead of her more accomplished compatriots. Berkoff ended up finishing second in 54.72, a tenth clear of Smith’s 54.82. Berkoff’s time was a lifetime best, improving upon the 54.93 she swam two years ago and becoming the fourth-quickest woman in history. The only swimmers to ever swim quicker times are Curzan, Smith and two-time Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown.
The three Americans as the three fastest women in the world for 2026, but Smith will not have the opportunity to defend her world title from 2024. However, she has already qualified for the Beijing team in the 200 butterfly, and moving forward, she and Curzan should be the clear top-two in the 200 back Saturday.