Race Video: Watch Natalie Coughlin Set American Record in 50 Back

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Photo Courtesy: JD Lasica

Editorial content for the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Santa Clara is sponsored by Arena. For full Swimming World coverage, check out our coverage page.

Natalie Coughlin set her first long course American record in seven years with a surprising swim in the women’s 50-meter backstroke at the Arena Pro Swim Series Santa Clara.

USA Swimming has uploaded the race video and post-race interview of the momentous occasion.

Original American record report:

California’s Natalie Coughlin is the next swimmer to prove that age is just a number as she took down the American record in the women’s 50-meter back at the Arena Pro Swim Series Santa Clara.

Coughlin scorched the finale with a time of 27.51, downing Rachel Bootsma’s American and U.S. Open mark of 27.68 from 2013 in Indianapolis. That’s a huge personal best for Coughlin, clearing her previous mark of 28.09 from the Golden Tour this year.

Coughlin moved to third in the world with her swim tonight as Etiene Medeiros (27.38) and Emily Seebohm (27.47) have both been faster.

Bootsma wound up taking second in the event tonight with a time of 28.05 to jump to 10th in the world rankings.

Medeiros managed to place third in 29.20, while Mexico’s Fernanda Gonzalez Ramirez finished fourth in 28.86.

California’s Elizabeth Pelton (29.05), Grand Canyon’s Iryna Glavnyk (29.22), Stanford’s Maya DiRado (29.28), Colorado Stars’ Missy Franklin (29.33) and Stanford’s Janet Hu (29.76) closed out the top nine.

Club Wolverine’s Ali Deloof took down the B final with a 28.97, while Gisela Morales finished second in 29.14.

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Autumn Hanson

8 years ago

Rebecca Marshall Merz. Show Abby!

Emanuele Calderone

8 years ago

Natalie <3…

Niles Keeran

8 years ago

32 can down youth, Franklin, and all.

Cathy Chamberlain

8 years ago

Marie fast!