By Stephen J. Thomas
ATHENS, Greece August 15. NATALIE Coughlin, world record-holder in the 100 meter backstroke, cruised through this morning's prelims into tonight's semifinals in the third spot clocking 1:01.45, while teammate Haley Cope will be there too qualifying in eleventh in 1:01.99 in a tightly-bunched field.
Most of the big names were through: French champion Laure Manaudou was fastest in 1:01.27, giving her the leading times in both of her events this morning. Japan's Reiko Nakamura (1:01.39) and Noriko Inada (1:01.67) also breezed. Germany’s world champ Antje Buschschulte (1:01.68) and Spain’s Nina Zhivanevskaya (1:01.75) and Russian Stanislava Komarova (1:01.84) also had no trouble moving on to the round of 16.
Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry was a standout, setting an African record when she splashed 1:01.60.
RESULTS
Women 100m Backstroke Heats
Record Split Name NOC Location Date
WR 59.58 28.86
COUGHLIN Natalie USA Fort Lauderdale (USA) 13 AUG 2002
OR 1:00.21 29.80
MOCANU Diana Iuliana ROM Sydney (AUS) 18 SEP 2000
Event No: 7
Rank Heat Lane Name NOC R.T. 50m Time Time
Behind
1 4 4 MANAUDOU Laure FRA 0.73 29.99 1:01.27
31.28
2 4 5 NAKAMURA Reiko JPN 0.64 29.80 1:01.39
31.59 0.12
3 6 4 COUGHLIN Natalie USA 0.69 30.06 1:01.45
31.39 0.18
4 3 5 COVENTRY Kirsty ZIM 0.71 30.45 1:01.60
31.15 0.33 AF
5 4 6 INADA Noriko JPN 0.63 30.13 1:01.67
31.54 0.40
6 5 4 BUSCHSCHULTE Antje GER 0.68 30.12 1:01.68
31.56 0.41
7 6 5 ZHIVANEVSKAYA Nina ESP 0.61 30.35 1:01.75
31.40 0.48
8 4 3 KOMAROVA Stanislava RUS 0.82 30.54 1:01.84
31.30 0.57
9 4 7 HLAVACKOVA Ilona CZE 0.66 29.87 1:01.95
32.08 0.68
10 5 7 ROONEY Giaan AUS 0.67 30.43 1:01.96
31.53 0.69
11 5 3 COPE Haley USA 0.69 30.25 1:01.99
31.74 0.72
12 6 3 SEXTON Katy GBR 0.71 30.65 1:02.01
31.36 0.74
13 5 5 OERNSTEDT Louise DEN 0.74 30.46 1:02.17
31.71 0.90
13 6 7 PRICE Sarah GBR 0.58 30.24 1:02.17
31.93 0.90
15 6 2 GAO Chang CHN 0.84 30.51 1:02.19
31.68 0.92
16 4 2 ZHAN Shu CHN 0.68 30.69 1:02.39
31.70 1.12
17 3 4 JOVANOVIC Sanja CRO 0.73 30.50 1:02.47
31.97 1.20
17 4 1 GAMMEL Erin CAN 0.62 30.46 1:02.47
32.01 1.20
19 5 6 AMSHENNIKOVA Iryna UKR 0.64 30.33 1:02.57
32.24 1.30
20 5 8 GUEHRER Marieke AUS 0.62 30.67 1:02.76
32.09 1.49
21 6 8 SZEPESI Nikolett HUN 0.64 30.54 1:02.78
32.24 1.51
22 5 2 McLEAN Hannah NZL 0.68 30.25 1:03.09
32.84 1.82
23 6 6 PIETSCH Janine GER 0.77 30.42 1:03.13
32.71 1.86
24 4 8 SHIM Min-Ji KOR 0.56 30.76 1:03.14
32.38 1.87
25 3 3 KHAKHLOVA Sviatlana BLR 0.71 31.09 1:03.25
32.16 1.98
26 6 1 CAPPA Alessandra ITA 0.62 30.64 1:03.50
32.86 2.23
27 3 2 MORALES Gisela GUA 0.75 31.13 1:03.72
32.59 2.45
28 3 6 GOSTOMELSKY Anna ISR 0.66 31.25 1:04.06
32.81 2.79
29 5 1 PUTRA Alexandra FRA 0.69 31.43 1:04.13
32.70 2.86
30 3 8 TSAI Hiu Wai Sherry HKG 0.59 31.39 1:04.25
32.86 2.98
31 2 5 AITKEN Kiera BER 0.69 31.60 1:04.37
32.77 3.10
32 2 1 VORATHAMRONG Chonlathorn THA 0.65 31.66 1:05.15
33.49 3.88
33 3 1 KARASTERGIOU Eirini GRE 0.64 31.64 1:05.30
33.66 4.03
34 2 4 ERKE Sadan Derya TUR 0.66 32.01 1:05.38
33.37 4.11
35 2 3 FERNANDEZ Serrana URU 0.56 32.12 1:05.51
33.39 4.24
36 3 7 SEPPALA Hanna-Maria FIN 0.70 30.94 1:05.55
34.61 4.28
37 2 2 FU Hsiao Han TPE 0.67 32.66 1:06.62
33.96 5.35
38 2 7 PRILEPA Anastassiya KAZ 0.71 31.87 1:07.55
35.68 6.28
39 1 4 OBIA Lenient NGR 0.58 33.15 1:09.65
36.50 8.38
40 1 5 GALINDO Ana HON 0.71 34.30 1:11.80
37.50 10.53
41 2 6 GNEDOVCKAYA Olga UZB 0.71 36.51 1:15.33
38.82 14.06
42 1 3 ROJKOVA Yelena TKM 0.74 35.09 1:15.48
40.39 14.21