Kathleen Baker Posts Personal Best to Lead 100 Back Prelims in Rio

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS

Women’s 100 Backstroke

Kathleen Baker put together a stunning swim, under world record pace at the halfway mark. The 19 year old touched in 58.84, crushing her lifetime best time of 59.29 from U.S. Olympic Trials last month. The American will return to semifinals in the top spot.

Baker was aggressive from the start—so aggressive that she actually had an earring fall out during the race. She went out in 29.29, more than four tenths of a second under world record pace. She faded, but the strategy paid off.

“I just went out there and tried to swim it like I’m supposed to,” Baker said. “I know I might have taken it out a little quicker than I should have, but that’s how I swim my races. I had a lot of adrenaline going in, so hopefully I’ll just keep rolling into the finals like that.”

“I think I was just so excited to be here that I didn’t even feel anything until the last 25,” Baker said, before admitting that the last 25 felt “like I got hit by a bus!”

World Champion Emily Seebhom of Australia was also under 59 with a 58.99 for the second spot. Seebohm still holds the Olympic record in the event, having clocked a 58.23 in prelims in London before eventually getting a silver medal. Kylie Masse of Canada will have the third seed with a 59.07. Denmark’s Mie Nielsen had a great second 50 meters and finished in 59.13 for fourth.

Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu of Hungary returned to the pool this morning as a newly minted Olympic gold medalist. She posted a 59.13.

Olivia Smoliga of the United States was the first swimmer of the morning under a minute. She touched in 59.60 and will return to semifinals in sixth. Great Britain’s Georgia Davies stopped the clock in 59.86.

Australia’s Maidson Wilson was also under the minute mark in the first circle seeded heat in 59.92, to take the eighth seed for semifinals.

Yuanhui Fu of China (1:00.02) finished just before Russia’s Anastasiia Fesikova (1:00.04).

In her fifth Olympics Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe posted a 1:00.13 to secure a semifinal swim.

Matea Samardzic of Croatia (1:00.46), China’s Xueer Wang (1:00.59), Spain’s Duane Da Rocha Marce (1:00.87), and Iceland’s Eyglo Gustafsdottir (1:00.89) will also swim again tonight.

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments