Smoliga reigned supreme winning the women’s 50 meter backstroke with a time of 27.33 seconds, where she set a new American record and a world-leading mark for this year. Smoliga improved the previous American record (27.43 seconds), by a tenth of a second, which was also set by her.
She noted that she kept herself calm while entering the race. She tried to relax and trust herself and that was sufficient for her success.
Etiene Medeiros of Brazil came in second place with a time of 27.44 seconds, while Russian swimmer Dria Vaskina came in third place clocking 27.51 seconds. Fellow American swimmer Kathleen Baker finished in sixth place with a time of 27.69 seconds.
Regarding her performance at the 2019 FINA World Championships, Smoliga stated that she has been a lot more honest with herself in the pool, in the weight room, as well as with her nutrition and the amount of sleep she receives. “Just believing in myself and trusting myself. I am glad that it’s kind of coming together especially before 2020,” she remarked.
As Digital Journal previously reported, on July 23, Smoliga won the bronze medal in the women’s 100 meter backstroke.
She will also be competing for the Cali Condors in the new International Swimming League (ISL).
Smoliga will be a part of the Back 2 Back Swim Camp, along with Jacob Pebley this September. For more information on the Back 2 Back Swim Camp, check out its official website.
