Regan Smith claims 200 IM and 50 fly at Austin Sectionals
American swimmer Regan Smith won both the women's 200 individual medley and the 50 butterfly at the Speedo Sectionals held in Austin, according to a 22 July report by Somantic Press. The outlet timed her 200 IM at 2:11.17 and said she outpaced the rest of the field by more than eight seconds. In the 50 fly, she was timed at 26.04, with the same report stating that her closest competitor, Avery Littlefield, finished roughly a second behind. Somantic Press described Smith's 200 IM mark as ranking her among the season's top performers globally, though the outlet framed that as a contextual assessment rather than an officially verified ranking.
Men's results highlight competitive field
The Austin meet also produced notable men's results. Shaine Casas won the men's 200 IM, with former University of Texas swimmer Carson Foster finishing second and a Texas trio of Rex Maurer, Luka Mladenovic and Will Modglin placing close behind, according to Somantic Press. Garrett Gould took the men's 50 fly title, edging Mark Nikolaev in a finish the outlet described as thrilling.
Northampton naturist swim session cancelled
A naturist swimming group that has met monthly at Mounts Baths in Northampton since 1982 has had its sessions cancelled by the facility's new operator, BBC News reported on 22 July. The Northampton-based Sun Group was told it could run its April and May sessions, but the June session was cancelled and no further sessions have been permitted, according to the BBC. Group representative Maggie Moreton told BBC Radio Northampton that members were "distressed and bewildered" and felt there was "no respect for our group," the BBC reported.
Operator cites staffing; naturist body calls response a 'knee-jerk'
Everyone Active, which took over the running of the West Northamptonshire council building in April, said it could not continue the sessions because it had been unable to "secure the staffing agreements needed to operate them," as quoted by BBC News. The BBC reported that Moreton said newcomers were always welcome to wear a swimsuit and that the meet-up typically attracted about 80 attendees aged 26 to 81, some travelling from Norwich and Oxford. Mark Bass, president of Northamptonshire-based British Naturism, told the BBC the move was a "knee-jerk reaction" and that other naturist events take place elsewhere in the country.
Next milestones
Everyone Active said it would "review the position and update customers accordingly" if circumstances changed, according to the BBC. For Smith, the Somantic Press report suggested her Sectionals performances would position her for upcoming national and international competitions later in the season.
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