After years persevering in a deep U.S. women’s backstroke field, Isabelle Stadden had breakout swims on Friday and Saturday.
First, Stadden won the 200m backstroke at the Fort Lauderdale Open in 2 minutes, 4.37 seconds to become the fourth-fastest performer in history in the event.
“I can’t say it wasn’t expected,” she told SwimSwam. “I feel like I’ve been working really hard in training and been holding a pace that represents the time I just went, but it was really exciting to see it all come together.”
She chopped 1.54 seconds off her personal best of 2:05.91 from March. Going into this year, her top time was 2:07.28 from 2021.
Stadden handed Regan Smith, the second-fastest performer in history, a rare domestic defeat. Smith swam 2:06.38 on Friday.
Stadden moved from the 13th-fastest woman in history to fourth, trailing only Australian Kaylee McKeown (world record 2:03.14 from 2023), Smith (American record 2:03.35 from 2019) and Missy Franklin (2:04.06 from 2012).
Then on Saturday, Stadden nearly took down Smith again. Smith came back to win in 57.49, while Stadden swam 57.55.
Stadden went from the 11th-fastest performer in history going into the day (58.26 from March) to the third-fastest woman ever behind Smith (57.13 world record) and McKeown (57.16).
Stadden, a former Cal standout who now trains as a pro at the University of Virginia, finished fourth and fifth in the backstrokes at the Tokyo Olympic Trials at age 18, then seventh in the 200m back at the Paris Olympic Trials.
She has yet to make a U.S. team for a major international meet in a 50-meter pool (Olympics, World Championships, Pan Pacific Championships).
Meanwhile, four other American women made the 200m back podium over the last four World Championships, and the U.S. put two women on the 100m back podium at three of the last four worlds, plus at the 2024 Olympics.
The team for this year’s major meet — Pan Pacs in Irvine, California, in August — was determined in 2025.
So Stadden, who took a few months off after last season and contemplated whether to keep swimming, will look to the 2027 World Championships.
She’ll have to finish in the top two in a backstroke event at next year’s nationals, fields that will likely include Smith, plus 2024 World 200m back champion Claire Curzan, Olympic and world 100m back bronze medalist Katharine Berkoff and Phoebe Bacon, who placed fourth and fifth in the 200m back at the last two Olympics.
