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, who explains that a 50 back is all chaos with nothing but bright lights and splashes, was surprised that she not only won but also set an American record in the Arena Pro Swim Series Santa Clara.
The American record might not have been since she considered scratching the 50 back after prelims.
Coughlin says she is still focused on freestyle, but her backstroke is starting to click again.
Original 50 back 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.