4 × 100 m medley relay, women, 25 m pool

What to remember

In December 2024, Budapest hosted the short course World Championships. On the 15th, the American relay swam the 4 × 100 m medley there in 3 min 40.41 s, in a 25 m pool.

Regan Smith opened on backstroke in 54.02 s, Lilly King followed on breaststroke in 1 min 03.02 s, Gretchen Walsh swam butterfly in 52.84 s and Kate Douglass closed on freestyle in 50.53 s. The order is set by the rules: backstroke goes first because its start is in the water, and the second leg, breaststroke, was by far the longest.

For Regan Smith, a backstroke and butterfly specialist, those championships were a big haul: she won seven medals there, four of them gold. Earlier that year, at the 2024 Olympics, she had won five medals, three silver and two gold.