TYR Pro Series Westmont, Day Four Finals: Regan Smith Dominates Stacked Field in 100 Backstroke
The first major U.S. long-course competition of the 2025 campaign has featured plenty of speed over the past few days, with Summer McIntosh and Shaine Casas starring during the first two full finals sessions of the TYR Pro Series stop in Westmont, Illinois. McIntosh followed up a victory in the 200-meter butterfly with the fourth-fastest time in history on Friday in the 400 individual medley. Casas, meanwhile, picked up victories in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 50 backstroke and 200 backstroke.
The last day of the meet figured to bring additional high-level performances, thanks to McIntosh racing the 200 individual medley and Regan Smith chasing a double in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly. Casas qualified for Saturday night’s finals in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly, and could bring his win total to six before he returns to training in Austin, Texas.
Here is an event-by-event breakdown of Saturday night’s action.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
Kate Douglass showed why she is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200 breaststroke as she cruised away from the field to grab victory in 2:22.60. The American-record holder in the event, Douglass packaged a wire-to-wire triumph and finished almost three seconds ahead of Germany’s Anna Elendt, who was timed in 2:25.51. Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey was third in 2:25.78.
Douglass has established herself as one of the most versatile swimmers in the world, also ranking among the globe’s elite in the 200 individual medley, sprint-freestyle events and 100 butterfly.
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Tied with Tommy Janton at the midway point of the race, Shaine Casas pulled away over the second length and won the 100 backstroke in 53.54. The victory was Casas’ fifth of the weekend, complementing earlier first-place finishes in the 100 freestyle, 200 free, 50 backstroke and 200 backstroke. Janton touched in second place in 53.82, with no other swimmers going under the 54-second barrier.
A Paris Olympian for the United States in the 200 individual medley, Casas bypassed that event on Saturday in order to tackle the 100 backstroke/100 butterfly double. His performances over the weekend have provided evidence that his training in Austin, Texas have been successful, with the World Championships targeted during the summer.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Backing up her victory in the 200 backstroke, Regan Smith dominated a stacked field in the 100 backstroke on Saturday night. Smith bolted to the lead off the start and delivered a winning mark of 58.64, which was almost a second ahead of the 59.51 posted by Katharine Berkoff for second place.
The Olympic silver medalist in the event from last summer’s Games in Paris, Smith was out in 28.25 and came home in 30.39. Berkoff was the bronze medalist in the event in Paris and the field also included Canadian Kylie Masse, who was third in 59.56. Masse is a former world-record holder in the 100 backstroke and twice has medaled in the event at the Olympic Games.
Placing fourth and cracking the minute barrier was American teenager Rylee Erisman. The 15-year-old went 59.67 for a personal best.
Men’s 800 Freestyle
The winner of the 400 freestyle earlier in the meet, Australian Sam Short enjoyed a runaway triumph at twice the distance. Short prevailed in the 800 freestyle in 7:45.02, good for a 10-second margin over Brazilian runnerup Guilherme Costa (7:56.45).
Women’s 800 Freestyle
The women’s 800 freestyle opened the final session of the weekend and Brazil managed a sweep of the top-two positions behind Gabrielle Gonçalves Roncatto and Maria Fernanda Costa. Roncatto earned the victory with a time of 8:36.95, which was more than two seconds faster than the 8:39.21 of Costa.
