Lane 9 News Archive: USA Swimming Grand Prix, Missouri: <font color=red>Flash!</font> Natalie Coughlin Lowers 100 Back World Record

USA Swimming Grand Prix, Missouri: Flash! Natalie Coughlin Lowers 100 Back World Record -- February 17, 2008

"I was thinking about BBQ and no warm down. It was a strange race. I really didn't expect it." - Natalie Coughlin

COLUMBIA, Missouri, February 17. THE weekend just witnessed its third world record in less than two days as Natalie Coughlin went off during the preliminary heats of the 100 back at the Missouri Grand Prix.

With Eamon Sullivan tracking down Alexander Popov in the men's 50 free as part of the NSW State Open Championships, and Kirsty Coventry erasing Krisztina Egerszegi's global standard in the 200 back, the mood was right for Coughlin to perform with an incredible time of 59.21 in the 100 back.

That dropped Coughlin's previous global mark of 59.44 set at last year's World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

Coughlin took the swim out in 28.77, before bringing it back in 30.44. Her front half proved the difference as second-place finisher Coventry touched in 59.61 with splits of 29.42 and 30.19.

"If you could see my face, I was slightly shocked," Coughlin told USA Swimming. "I was thinking about BBQ and no warm down. It was a strange race. I really didn't expect it."

Progressions
Courtesy of USA Swimming
1:36.7 Doris Hart ENG Gothenburg 7/6/1923
1:35.0 J. Mullerova TCH Prague 7/29/1923
1:26.6 Sybil Bauer USA Newark 8/8/1923
1:22.4 Sybil Bauer USA Miami 1/6/1924
1:22.0 Willy van den Turk NETH Rotterdam 7/10/1927
1:21.6 Marie Braun NETH Amsterdam 8/11/1928
1:21.4 Marie Braun NETH Brussels 4/1/1921
1:21.0 Marie Braun NETH Gravenhage 11/27/1929
1:20.6 Bonnie Mealing AUS Sydney 2/27/1930
1:18.6 Phyllis Harding GBR Wallasey 5/30/1932
1:18.2 Eleanor Holm USA Jones Beach 7/16/1932
1:16.8 Rie Mastenbroek NETH Dusseldorf 11/25/1934
1:16.3 Eleanor Holm USA Chicago 1/15/1935
1:15.8 Rie Mastenbroek NETH Amsterdam 2/27/1936
1:15.7 Dina Senff NETH Copenhagen 9/8/1936
1:15.4 Dina Senff NETH Copenhagen 9/10/1936
1:13.6 Dina Senff NETH Dusseldorf 10/25/1936
1:13.5 Cor Knit NETH Copenhagen 11/1/1938
1:13.2 Iet van Feggelen NETH Amsterdam 11/10/1938
1:13.0 Iet van Feggelen NETH Gravenhage 11/12/1938
1:12.9 Iet van Feggelen NETH Antwerp 11/26/1938
1:10.9^ Cor Knit NETH Rotterdam 9/22/1939
1:12.9 Judith Grinham GBR Melborune 12/5/1956
1:12.5y Phillipa Gould NZL Auckland 3/12/1958
1:12.4y Margaret Edwards GBR Cardiff 4/19/1958
1:12.3 Ria von Velson HOL Nijmegen 7/20/1958
1:11.9y Judith Grinham GBR Cardiff 7/23/1958
1:11.7 Ria van Velson NED Waalwijk 7/26/1959
1:11.4 Carin Cone USA Chicago 11/6/1959
1:11.0 Ria von Velson NED Leipzig 6/12/1960
1:10.9 Ria von Velson NED Maastricht 7/10/1960
1:10.1 Lynn Burke USA Indianapolis 7/17/1960
1:10.0 Lynn Burke USA Detroit 8/4/1960
1:09.2 Lynn Burke USA Detroit 8/5/1960
1:09.0 Lynn Burke USA Rome 9/2/1960
1:08.9 Donna de Varona USA Los Angeles 7/28/1963
1:08.6 Christine Caron FRA Paris 6/14/1964
1:08.3 Virginia Duenkel USA Los Angeles 9/28/1964
1:07.7 Catherine Ferguson USA Tokyo 10/14/1964
1:07.4 Ann Fairlie SAF Beziers 7/23/1966
1:07.3 Elaine Tanner CAN Winnipeg 7/27/1967
1:07.1 Elaine Tanner CAN Winnipeg 7/30/1967
1:06.7 Karen Muir SAF Kimberley 1/30/1968
1:06.4 Karen Muir SAF Paris 4/6/1968
1:06.2 Kaye Hall USA Mexico City 10/23/1968
1:05.6 Karen Muir SAF Utrecht 7/6/1969
1:05.39 Ulrike Richter GDR Utrecht 8/18/1973
1:04.99r Ulrike Richter GDR Belgrade 9/4/1973
1:04.78 Gwendolyn Cook CAN Christchurch 1/31/1974
1:04.43 Ulrike Richter GDR Rostock 7/8/1974
1:04.09 Ulrike Richter GDR Vienna 8/22/1974
1:03.30 Ulrike Richter GDR Vienna 8/23/1974
1:02.98 Ulrike Richter GDR Concord 9/1/1974
1:02.60 Ulrike Richter GDR Tallin 3/14/1976
1:01.62 Kornelia Ender GDR Berlin 6/3/1976
1:01.51 Ulrike Richter GDR Berlin 6/5/1976
1:01.51e Rica Reinisch GDR Moscow 7/20/1980
1:01.50 Rica Reinisch GDR Moscow 7/22/1980
1:00.86 Rica Reinisch GDR Moscow 7/23/1980
1:00.59r Ina Kleber GDR Moscow 8/24/1984
1:00.31^ Krisztina Egerszegi HUN Athens 8/22/1991
1:00.16r Cihong He CHN Rome 9/10/1994
59.58 Natalie Coughlin USA Ft. Lauderdale 8/13/2002
59.44 Natalie Coughlin USA Melbourne 3/27/2007
59.21 Natalie Coughlin USA Columbia 2/17/2008
^ indicates a change in FINA regulations

Results: Missouri Grand Prix

Premium Members - Search More About: Natalie Coughlin

Reaction Time Comments

February 17, 2008 What is the special mark after Conrelia Kint's time from 1939 supposed to represent? Was it done over 110 meters, but in a shorter pool? Does it mean that either the technique changed right before or after the swim?? If not, then why the same notation with Egerszegi? Anyone know what was going on?
Submitted by: Park528

February 17, 2008 Dunno abt the 1939 one, but in Egerszegi's case, it denoted that her mark was the first world record set after the backstroke rule change, allowing backstrokers to do a turn similar to freestylers in the water. Previously they had to touch the wall with their hands at the turn.
Submitted by: chris

February 20, 2008 Chris makes an excellent point.

When FINA changed the backstroke rules nearly 20 years ago it made the event incomporablyfaster and Ebgerszegi was just the first of many to take advantage.

Had Naber and/or Rick Carey (golds in both 100-200 @ LA in '84) had advntage of turn rules and 15 meters underwater they'd have done times comaprble to what Peirsol, Phelps, Lochte & Co. are doing today.

Speaking of Lochte...I won't say he stunk up the pool @ Missouri but he didn't exactly deliver "Olympian" performances either.

I know, waht counts is Omaha and Beijing but he was ready to rock 'n roll two months ago in Atlanta and if he ws just going to "go go thru the motions here y boher coming?

As Arnold Spirz once opined: "First is first and second is LAST!"

Hopefully he'll swim fast in a couple of weeks @ All-America Invite and put the hammer downt in what could well be final scy meet of his, Phelps' et al's'07-'08 season. (Rest will all be lcm)

And has anybody noticed how well Club Wolverine/U Michigan swimmers (and not just Phelps) are swimming these days?

Vanderkaay on fire -- Vendt too -- Davis Tarwater is competitive in 200 fly, even though he didn't swim @ Missouri Chris DeJong has been looking grea, Sandeno is thriving and the Wolverine men'sc ollege team is a good bet to win their coach's initial Big Ten crown.

It used to be easy to say Bowsman was a gret coach because of you know who.

Obviously that's the case but he's showing he's got more than jsut one horse in his stable. He could put at least four swimmers (Phelps, Vendt, Vanderkaay, Sandeno) on plane to Beijing and DeJong's not out of running in 200 back and Ttarwater's a possibility in 200 fly.

Throw in Alex Vanderkaay, Peter's younger brother who I believe is defending NCAA 400 IM champ, plus seveal foreign swimmers on UM team (an Israeli backstroker, a Brfazilian IMer) and he could every coach worldwide.

Another Club Wolverine swimmer you'll be hearing about in months and years to come is Allison Schmitt, one of three women on CW senior team (ex-Notre Damer Ktie Carroll and sandeno are otgher two).

Schmitt's still qutie young and moving u the 200-400 free rankings.
Submitted by: slickwillie32

February 20, 2008 Is Lochte going to short course worlds?? Is he prepping for that?
Submitted by: Park528

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