Trials Throwback: Women’s 100 Back in 2008

Jul 17, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Natalie Coughlin of the United States adjusts her swim cap before the women's 50m freestyle final the 2015 Pan Am Games at Pan Am Aquatics UTS Centre and Field House. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher/USA Today Sports Images

Editorial Coverage provided by

Less than two weeks to go until Olympic Trials get underway in Omaha, Neb. But before the meet, we wanted to look back at some of the great moments from past editions of the meet held inside the CenturyLink Center. Welcome to #TrialsThrowback!

Natalie Coughlin got her 2008 Trials started with the 100 back as she sought to defend her Olympic gold medal from Athens four years earlier. She had already broken her own world record that year, having clocked 59.21 at the Missouri Grand Prix in February—coincidentally or not, just days after Speedo unveiled the LZR Racer, the first racing suits that incorporated polyurethane.

But as Coughlin stood behind the blocks for her first race at Trials, she watched as Hayley McGregory touched the wall in 59.15—and all the sudden, for the first time in six years, Coughlin was not the world record-holder in the event.

That lasted all of about three minutes, as the super-competitive Coughlin threw down a 59.03 to take the record back and secure the top qualifying spot in the final.

McGregory was the top seed after the semifinals, ahead of Coughlin and then Margaret Hoelzer, who broke 1:00 for the first time. McGregory was hoping for redemption after finishing third in both the 100 and 200 back four years earlier at the Trials in Long Beach, Calif.

But in the final, it was all Coughlin. She used her always-excellent underwaters and led wire-to-wire, becoming the first woman to get under the 59-second mark with a 58.97. It was the fifth time in Coughlin’s career that she broke the 100 back world record.

McGregory had been second at the 50, just a tenth of a second behind Coughlin, but she faded coming home and ended up slipping to third. Hoelzer touched second in 59.21, to McGregory’s 59.42.

The heartbreaking week would continue for McGregory in the 200 back. Hoelzer broke the world record in that race, and Elizabeth Beisel passed McGregory on the final 50 to take the second spot on the Olympic team.

Coughlin lost her world record again in Beijing—this time for good—as Kirsty Coventry blasted a 58.77 in the semifinals, but Coughlin did manage to defend her title in the final, clocking an American record-time of 58.96. Hoelzer, meanwhile, got the bronze in the 100 back and added a silver medal later in the week in the 200 back.

Photo Courtesy: OMEGA Timing

Check out our previous #TrialsThrowbacks:
Men’s 400 IM in 2008
Women’s 400 IM in 2008

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