LOS ANGELES - Regan Smith, shaping up for a World Championships showdown with Australian Kaylee McKeown, clocked a blistering 2min 03.80sec to win the 200m backstroke at the US swimming championships on Wednesday.
Smith, whose previous world record was broken by McKeown in March with a time of 2:03.14, showed again that her move to train with coach Bob Bowman -- former mentor of Michael Phelps -- was paying off.
"I haven't been 2:03 in four years, and I'm just so happy to be back where I was," a beaming Smith said after posting the fifth-fastest time ever and beating Rhyan White by 1.97sec.
Smith, who also won the 200m butterfly on Tuesday, set up a tantalizing test with McKeown at next month's World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Since breaking' Smith's world mark in March, McKeown has gone on to clock an impressive 2:03.70 at the Australian trials this month.