Smith, Kubiak Smash Multiple World Records on Opening Day in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – On the first day of the 2025 Para Swimming World Series – USA, Team USA’s Leanne Smith (Salem, Massachusetts) and Katie Kubiak (Mequon, Wisconsin) took advantage of home pool advantage, breaking a combined five world records in the women’s S3 and S4 classes, respectively, en route to six of Team USA’s 12 medals at the IU Natatorium.

The veteran Smith, returning to competition this spring after winning four medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, set world records in the women’s 50-meter, 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle races and won two gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter. Her 50-meter world record of 39.99 seconds came in as her split during her 100-meter final.  

Smith said she took time off after Paris before recommitting to the sport in December. She’ has since adapted a new training style and quickly seeing the results.

“It’s something I didn’t expect, but switching up my training and taking a solid four months off from swimming was refreshing and much-needed,” she said. “[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 okay and it’s enough.”

Kubiak, meanwhile, is competing in her first-ever international meet. The New York University student burst onto the scene on the first day, winning four medals – including golds in the 150-meter individual medley and the 50-meter butterfly – and breaking the 150-meter individual medley and 100-meter freestyle S4 world records in the process.

“We came in with very low expectations. I just wanted to come in and have a good time. I’ve never been on a stage quite this big, so I really just wanted to come in and put up the best times I could. I’m really happy with the times I ended up swimming, especially with the schedule I had today.”

Kubiak made the event final in all four events in which she swam today, medaling in all of them.

“[The workload] was a lot tougher than I thought it would be,” she said. “I had a really great support system around me in my coaches and teammates. Some of the swims are obviously going to be better than others, and I just think framing it that way allowed me to have the best swims possible and to move on from the ones that weren’t as great.”

Four medals in four events conclude Kubiak’s meet, while Smith will return for the 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter backstroke and 50-meter breaststroke.

Joining Smith and Kubiak on the women’s 100-meter freestyle podium for Team USA’s only podium sweep of the day was Paralympic champion Morgan Stickney (Cary, North Carolina), who earned bronze behind her teammates. Stickney will return for her signature 400-meter freestyle tomorrow.

Also earning medals for Team USA on the evening were Paralympians Mallory Weggemann (Eagan, Minnesota) and Lawrence Sapp (Waldorf, Maryland), who brought home bronzes in the women’s 50-meter butterfly and men’s 200-meter freestyle, respectively. Adin Williams (Happy Valley, Oregon) also won bronze in the men’s 50-meter butterfly.

Americans also brought home two youth medals, with Koehn Boyd (Ramsey, Minnesota) and Lucas Culotta (Brecksville, Ohio) going 2-3 in the youth category in the men’s 100-meter freestyle. In order to qualify for the youth awards, athletes must be 18 years old or younger. Boyd and Culotta are part of a group of up-and-coming Team USA national team athletes who are competing this weekend.  

Competition resumes Friday at 9 a.m. with the second day of preliminary heats. All sessions are streamed live on the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Facebook page, and full results can be found here.

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.

Medalists – Day 1

Men’s 100-meter Freestyle S1-14

1. Gabriel Dos Santos Araujo (BRA)
2. Thomas Gallagher (AUS)
3. Callum Simpson (AUS)

Men’s 100-meter Freestyle S1-14 – Youth

1. Callum Simpson (AUS)
2. Koehn Boyd (USA)
3. Lucas Culotta (USA)

Women’s 100-meter Freestyle S1-14

1. Leanne Smith (USA)
2. Katie Kubiak (USA)
3. Morgan Stickney (USA)

Women’s 100-meter Freestyle S1-14 – Youth

1. Victoria Belando Nicholson (AUS)
2. Kael Thompson (AUS)
3. Husnah Kukundakwe (UGA)

Men’s 150-meter Individual Medley SM1-4

1. Gabriel dos Santos Araujo (BRA)

Women’s 150-meter Individual Medley SM1-4

1. Katie Kubiak (USA)

Men’s 50-meter Butterfly S2-7

1. Gabriel dos Santos Araujo (BRA)
2. Matheus Brambilla (BRA)
3. Adin Williams (USA)

Women’s 50-meter Butterfly S2-7

1. Katie Kubiak (USA)
2. Danielle Dorris (CAN)
3. Mallory Weggemann (USA)

Men’s 200-meter Freestyle S1-5, S14

1. Darren Sisman (AUS)
2. Gabriel dos Santos Araujo (BRA)
3. Lawrence Sapp (USA)

Women’s 200-meter Freestyle S1-5, S14

1. Leanne Smith (USA)
2. Katie Kubiak (USA)
3. Kael Thompson (AUS)

Mixed 4x100-meter Medley Relay 34 points

1. Team USA (Kenley Teller, Chloe Cederholm, Owen McNear, Lucas Culotta)

Mixed 4x100-meter Medley Relay S14

1. Team Australia (Ruby Storm, Ricky Betar, Kael Thompson, Darren Sisman)
2. Team USA (Piper Sadowski, Trevor Lukacsko, Lawrence Sapp, Abby Kershaw)