AUSTIN, Texas, March 7. ACCORDING to Swimming World's sources in Austin at the All-American Long Course Championships, Hayley McGregory of Longhorn Aquatics did what Emily Seebohm could not earlier this week and broke the women's 50 back world record as the leadoff of a 200 medley relay race that clocked in at 1:57.08.
McGregory ripped off a time of 28.00 to wipe out the 28.09 set by Yang Li of China at the World Military Games in Hyderabad, India last October.
The effort came shortly after McGregory became just the fifth member of the sub-1:00 club in the 100 back when she punched a 59.81 to place second behind Kirsty Coventry in the event.
Seebohm came within a whisker of the world record earlier this week with a time of 28.10 at a high school meet down in Australia.
Incidentally, McGregory's time also surpassed Leila Vaziri's American record of 28.16 set twice at the 2007 World Championships, which then stood as the global standard in the event.
Since then, the top swimmers have become McGregory at 28.00, Yang at 28.09, Seebohm at 28.10 and Vaziri at 28.16.
Event 21 Women 200 LC Meter Medley Relay
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Team Seed Finals
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1 Longhorn Aquatic-ST 'A' 1:59.59 1:57.08
1) McGregory, Hayley 22 2) Rodriquez, Jessica 17
3) McElhany, Caroline 16 4) Jamison, Tanica 26
28.00 1:02.98 (34.98)
1:31.15 (28.17) 1:57.08 (25.93)