Katie Ledecky, Emma Weyant, and Katie Grimes react to Regan Smith's phenomenal performance at Short Course Championships

Regan Smith was at her relentless best during the six-day Short Course World Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, sweeping the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke. Following her performance, the American swimmer earned praise from compatriots Katie Ledecky, Katie Grimes, and Emma Weyant.

Smith was the second American swimmer to win four or more gold medals at the event behind Gretchen Walsh, who won seven. The 22-year-old won the gold medals in the 4x100m medley relay and the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke events.

She also broke four world records at the event, taking home the second-highest prize money from the six-day meet at $142,500 and earning the appreciation of her Paris Olympics teammates as well.

Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky expressed herself with a series of emojis, posting:

"👏👏👏❤️"

Two-time Olympian Emma Weyant was in awe of Smith's incredible performances, writing:

"Amazing 😻"

Katie Grimes, who set the American record in the 400m individual medley at the 2024 Short Course World Championships in 4:20.14, also reacted to Smith's incredible performance.

"No thank you, genuine," she wrote in separate comments.

Olympic swimmers react to Regan Smith's performance

All four of the swimmers competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics with Smith taking home an impressive two gold and three silver medals. Ledecky won two gold, one silver, and one bronze, while Weyant and Grimes took home a bronze and a silver medal respectively.

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"If I need to pick my favorite event, I’d choose this one" - Regan Smith after breaking the world record in 200m backstroke at the 2024 World Championships

World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) 2024 - Regan Smith in action (Source: Getty)

While Regan Smith won gold medals in all three available backstroke disciplines, the 22-year-old picked the 200m backstroke as her favorite event after breaking her world record once again in the event. She clocked 1:58.04 to sweep the women's backstroke, taking off eight tenths from her previous record set in Singapore last month.

Smith said after the event (via Swimming World Magazine):

“I was aiming for that world record tonight. That was a very talented field, so that’s something that helps me a lot and made me push very hard. If I need to pick my favorite event, I’d choose this one. I have so much history in it, so it’s great to beat the world record here, too."

Smith beat Canada's Summer McIntosh by a big margin as the teenage sensation touched the wall second in 1:59.96 while neutral athlete Anastasiya Shkurdai won the bronze medal in 2:00.56.