World record progression 100 metres backstroke
This is a history of the 100 m backstroke world record as swum in both long-course (50 m; Olympic) pools and short-course (25 m) pools—the two categories recognized/tracked by FINA.
Graphic data for World Record Progression in Men and Women Swimming 50m-100m-200m Long and Short Course Butterfly-Backstroke-Breaststroke-Freestyle
Men
Long course
Time |
Swimmer |
Date |
Place |
1:02.2 |
David Theile |
December 6, 1956 |
Melbourne, Australia |
1:01.5 |
John Monckton |
February 15, 1958 |
Melbourne, Australia |
1:01.3 |
Bob Bennett |
August 19, 1961 |
Los Angeles, USA |
1:01.0 |
Tom Stock |
August 11, 1962 |
Cuyahoga Falls, USA |
1:00.9 |
Tom Stock |
August 12, 1962 |
Cuyahoga Falls, USA |
1:00.8 |
Ernst-Joachim Küppers |
August 28, 1964 |
Dortmund, West Germany |
1:00.0 |
Thompson Mann |
September 3, 1964 |
New York City, USA |
59.6 |
Thompson Mann |
October 16, 1964 |
Tokyo, Japan |
59.5 |
Doug Russell |
August 28, 1967 |
Tokyo, Japan |
59.3 |
Charlie Hickcox |
August 28, 1967 |
Tokyo, Japan |
59.1 |
Charlie Hickcox |
August 31, 1967 |
Tokyo, Japan |
58.4 |
Roland Matthes |
September 21, 1967 |
Leipzig, East Germany |
58.0 |
Roland Matthes |
October 26, 1968 |
Mexico City, Mexico |
57.8 |
Roland Matthes |
August 23, 1969 |
Würzburg, West Germany |
56.9 |
Roland Matthes |
September 8, 1970 |
Barcelona, Spain |
56.7 |
Roland Matthes |
September 4, 1971 |
Leipzig, East Germany |
56.3 |
Roland Matthes |
April 8, 1972 |
Moscow, USSR |
56.30 |
Roland Matthes |
September 4, 1972 |
Munich, West Germany |
56.19 |
John Naber |
July 18, 1976 |
Montreal, Canada |
55.49 |
John Naber |
July 19, 1976 |
Montreal, Canada |
55.44 |
Rick Carey |
August 6, 1983 |
Clovis, California, USA |
55.38 |
Rick Carey |
August 6, 1983 |
Clovis, California, USA |
55.19 |
Rick Carey |
August 21, 1983 |
Caracas, Venezuela |
55.17 |
Igor Polyansky |
March 15, 1988 |
Tallinn, USSR |
55.16 |
Igor Polyansky |
March 16, 1988 |
Tallinn, USSR |
55.00 |
Igor Polyansky |
July 16, 1988 |
Moscow, USSR |
54.95 |
David Berkoff |
August 12, 1988 |
Austin, Texas, USA |
54.91 |
David Berkoff |
August 12, 1988 |
Austin, Texas, USA |
54.51 |
David Berkoff |
September 24, 1988 |
Seoul, South Korea |
53.93 |
Jeff Rouse |
August 25, 1991 |
Edmonton, Canada |
53.86 |
Jeff Rouse |
July 31, 1992 |
Barcelona, Spain |
53.60 |
Lenny Krayzelburg |
August 24, 1999 |
Sydney, Australia |
53.45 |
Aaron Peirsol |
August 21, 2004 |
Athens, Greece |
53.17 |
Aaron Peirsol |
April 2, 2005 |
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
52.98 |
Aaron Peirsol |
March 27, 2007 |
Melbourne, Australia |
52.89 |
Aaron Peirsol |
July 1, 2008 |
Omaha, Nebraska, USA |
52.54 |
Aaron Peirsol |
August 12, 2008 |
Beijing, China |
52.38 |
Aschwin Wildeboer |
July 1, 2009 |
Pescara, Italy |
51.94 |
Aaron Peirsol |
July 8, 2009 |
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
Short course
Time |
Swimmer[1] |
Date |
Place |
52.50 |
Mark Tewksbury |
February 22, 1992 |
Winnipeg, Canada |
51.43 |
Jeff Rouse |
April 12, 1993 |
Sheffield, Great Britain |
51.28 |
Lenny Krayzelburg |
2000 |
|
50.75 |
Neil Walker |
March 19, 2000 |
Athens, Greece |
50.58 |
Thomas Rupprath |
December 8, 2002 |
Melbourne, Australia |
50.32 |
Peter Marshall |
March 26, 2004 |
New York City, United States |
49.99 |
Ryan Lochte |
April 9, 2006 |
Shanghai, China |
49.94 |
Peter Marshall |
November 11, 2008 |
Stockholm, Sweden |
49.63 |
Peter Marshall |
November 15, 2008 |
Berlin, Germany |
49.32 |
Stanislav Donets |
December 14, 2008 |
Rijeka, Croatia |
49.20 |
Aschwin Wildeboer |
December 21, 2008 |
Madrid, Spain |
49.17 |
Arkady Vyatchanin |
December 12, 2009 |
Istanbul, Turkey |
48.97 |
Arkady Vyatchanin Stanislav Donets |
December 13, 2009 |
Istanbul, Turkey |
48.94 (r) |
Nick Thoman |
December 18, 2009 |
Manchester, England |
48.92[2] |
Matt Grevers |
December 12, 2015 |
Indianapolis, USA |
Women
Long course
Time |
Swimmer |
Date |
Meet |
Place |
1:07.7 |
Cathy Ferguson |
October 14, 1964 |
Olympic Games |
Tokyo, Japan |
1:07.4 |
Ann Farlie |
July 23, 1966 |
|
Béziers, France |
1:07.3 |
Elaine Tanner |
July 27, 1967 |
|
Winnipeg, Canada |
1:07.1 |
Elaine Tanner |
July 30, 1967 |
|
Winnipeg, Canada |
1:06.7 |
Karen Muir |
January 30, 1968 |
|
Kimberley, South Africa |
1:06.4 |
Karen Muir |
April 6, 1968 |
|
Paris, France |
1:06.2 |
Kaye Hall |
October 23, 1968 |
Olympic Games |
Mexico City, Mexico |
1:05.6 |
Karen Muir |
July 6, 1969 |
|
Utrecht, Netherlands |
1:05.39 |
Ulrike Richter |
August 18, 1973 |
|
Utrecht, Netherlands |
1:04.99r |
Ulrike Richter |
September 4, 1973 |
World Championships |
Belgrade, Yugoslavia |
1:04.78 |
Wendy Cook |
January 31, 1974 |
|
Christchurch, New Zealand |
1:04.43 |
Ulrike Richter |
July 8, 1974 |
|
Rostock, East Germany |
1:04.09 |
Ulrike Richter |
August 22, 1974 |
|
Vienna, Austria |
1:03.30 |
Ulrike Richter |
August 23, 1974 |
|
Vienna, Austria |
1:02.98 |
Ulrike Richter |
September 1, 1974 |
|
Concord, California, USA |
1:02.60 |
Ulrike Richter |
March 14, 1976 |
|
Tallinn, USSR |
1:01.62 |
Kornelia Ender |
June 3, 1976 |
|
Berlin, East Germany |
1:01.51 |
Ulrike Richter |
June 5, 1976 |
|
Berlin, East Germany |
1:01.51e |
Rica Reinisch |
July 20, 1980 |
Olympic Games |
Moscow, USSR |
1:01.50 |
Rica Reinisch |
July 22, 1980 |
Olympic Games |
Moscow, USSR |
1:00.86 |
Rica Reinisch |
July 23, 1980 |
Olympic Games |
Moscow, USSR |
1:00.59r |
Ina Kleber |
August 24, 1984 |
Friendship Games |
Moscow, USSR |
1:00.31 |
Krisztina Egerszegi |
August 22, 1991 |
European Championships |
Athens, Greece |
1:00.16r |
He Cihong |
September 10, 1994 |
World Championships |
Rome, Italy |
59.58 |
Natalie Coughlin |
August 13, 2002 |
U.S. National Swimming Championships |
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA |
59.44 |
Natalie Coughlin |
March 27, 2007 |
World Championships |
Melbourne, Australia |
59.21 |
Natalie Coughlin |
February 17, 2008 |
Missouri Grand Prix |
Columbia, Missouri, United States |
59.15 |
Hayley McGregory |
June 30, 2008 |
USA Olympic Trials |
Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
59.03 |
Natalie Coughlin |
June 30, 2008 |
USA Olympic Trials |
Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
58.97 |
Natalie Coughlin |
July 1, 2008 |
USA Olympic Trials |
Omaha, Nebraska, United States |
58.77 |
Kirsty Coventry |
August 11, 2008 |
Olympic Games |
Beijing, China |
58.48 |
Anastasia Zuyeva |
July 27, 2009 |
World Championships |
Rome, Italy |
58.12 |
Gemma Spofforth |
July 28, 2009 |
World Championships |
Rome, Italy |
Short course
Time |
Swimmer[3] |
Date |
Place |
59.41 |
Angel Martino |
November 21, 1993 |
Stavanger, Norway |
58.50 |
Angel Martino |
December 3, 1993 |
Palma de Mallorca, Spain |
58.45 |
Reiko Nakamura |
March 4, 2001 |
Sagamihara, Japan |
57.08 |
Natalie Coughlin |
November 29, 2001 |
East Meadow, New York, United States |
56.71 |
Natalie Coughlin |
November 23, 2002 |
New York City, United States |
56.51 |
Natalie Coughlin |
October 28, 2007 |
Singapore |
56.15 |
Shiho Sakai |
February 22, 2009 |
Tokyo, Japan |
55.23 |
Shiho Sakai |
November 15, 2009 |
Berlin, Germany |
55.03 |
Katinka Hosszú |
December 4, 2014 |
Doha, Qatar |
References