Five-time Paralympic medalist Leanne Smith broke three of her own world records in one day to open the Para Swimming World Series meet in Indianapolis on Thursday.
Smith, a 36-year-old from Massachusetts, broke world records in the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyles in the S3 classification.
In the 100m free final, she lowered her world record from 1:27.62 (set at the 2022 World Championships) to 1:26.76.
En route, she also became the first woman to break 40 seconds in the S3 50m free, splitting 39.99. Smith previously held the world record of 40.03 from the Paris Paralympics.
In Thursday’s 200m free final, she clocked 3:09.65 to smash her world record of 3:15.48 from 2022.
Smith said she took four months off from swimming after the Paris Paralympics, where she took gold in the 50m free (S4) and 100m free (S3).
“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,” she said, according to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “(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.”
Also Thursday, Katie Kubiak broke world records in the 150m individual medley and the 100m freestyle in the S4 classification. The New York University student is making her international competition debut at the World Series.
For the Paralympic silver medalist and 10-time world champion, Beverly, MA will always have the warm embrace of home.
