(Swimming Canada)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

champ

Olympian Smith becomes world champion in Abu Dhabi

Dec 18, 2021 | 12:40 PM

From Olympic silver medalist to world champion, Red Deer’s Rebecca Smith is having herself a helluva year in the pool.

Smith, whose team took home the runner-up medal in the 4×100 metre freestyle race in Tokyo, is competing this week for the first time internationally since the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The event is the 15th annual FINA World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

Smith, alongside teammates Maggie Mac Neil, Kayla Sanchez and Katerine Savard, captured gold in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, meantime setting a Canadian record time of 3:28.52. The Canadians share the medal with the U.S.A. in a first-ever tie.

Smith also earned silver in the 200 metre freestyle with a time of 1:52.24, also a Canadian record.

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“I came into this meet with no real expectations. I just wanted to have a fun time while seeing what I could do. I would never have thought I would come out of the 200 freestyle with a Canadian record and be second in the world, so I am so excited,” says Smith.

“Becoming world champions in the 4×100 is amazing. It’s been such a cool experience and I am so proud to be a part of this team. I wouldn’t say it’s any harder coming off the Olympics; if anything, it has made me more confident while just enjoying the process of it all.”

Through the fall, Smith has been training and competing with her squad at the University of Calgary, where she is a full-time nursing student.

“I have worked really well with my coach, Mike Blondal, at the U of C and we have made a great training schedule for me working around my school schedule,” she shares. “It is busy with school and swimming, but I am making it work with my team and coaches. My Dinos teammates encourage me and motivate me in practice, and we have fun while training which I think has made a really positive impact for me in my training and racing.”

After a holiday break, Smith et al will be back at it at Canadian Trials in April in Victoria, then the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka in May, and finally the 2022 Commonwealth Games next July & August in Birmingham, England.

Medals won this week give Smith 15 total at FINA events, with a couple races still to come.