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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
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