Smith Named to Two International Squads for 2015

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Oct. 30, 2014

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.-Virginia swimming sophomore Leah Smith will represent the United States at the 2015 FINA World Championships as well as the 2015 World University Games, USA Swimming announced Thursday (Oct. 30).

In addition, Olympic gold medalist and UVa Class of 2011 graduate Matt McLean has been selected for the U.S. squads for the World Championships and 2015 Pan-American Games.

Smith and McLean will be part of the women’s and men’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay teams at the FINA World Championships, to be held in Kazan, Russia, Aug. 2-15, 2015. Both won gold with the same relays at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Gold Coast, Australia, in August.

Smith will compete in the women’s 200m and 400m free at the World University Games, which will be held in Gwangju, South Korea, July 4-11, 2015. She represented the United States at the 2012 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, where she won two gold medals (400m free, 800m free) and was named the Swimmer of the Meet. Smith was named the ACC Freshman of the Year for 2014 and placed third in the 1,650-yard freestyle at the NCAA Championships.

McLean will swim in the men’s 200m and 400m free at the Pan-American Games, to be held in Toronto, July 14-18, 2015. McLean won his fourth senior international gold medal at Pan Pacs in August. He won Olympic gold with the U.S. men’s 4x200m free relay in 2012 and also earned gold with the same relay at the 2012 FINA World Short Course Championships and 2013 FINA World Championships.