Leanne Smith, a five-time Paralympic medallist, opened Thursday’s Para Swimming World Series tournament in Indianapolis by breaking three of her own world records in one day.
Smith, a 36-year-old Massachusetts native, set world records in the S3 division’s 50-, 100-, and 200-meter freestyles.
She dropped her world record from 1:27.62 (established at the 2022 World Championships) to 1:26.76 in the 100-meter free final.
In the process, she split 39.99, making her the first female competitor to break 40 seconds in the S3 50m free. Smith previously held the Paris Paralympics world record of 40.03.
In the 200-meter free final on Thursday, she broke her 2022 world record of 3:15.48 with a time of 3:09.65.
Smith said that following the Paris Paralympics, where she won gold in the 50-meter free (S4) and 100-meter free (S3) events, she took a four-month break from swimming.
According to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, she stated, “It’s something I didn’t expect (the world records), but switching up my training and taking a solid four months off from swimming was refreshing and much-needed.” “These records are emotional for me, but they reinforce that you don’t have to be doing what the person next to you is doing, and that working within your limits is OK and it’s enough.”
In the S4 division, Katie Kubiak also set world records Thursday in the 100-meter freestyle and the 150-meter individual medley. At the World Series, the student from New York University is competing internationally for the first time.
