Smoliga Smokes It With 56.64 Surprise
Dec 13, 2012 - Craig Lord
Istanbul, World Short-Course Championships, Day 2 finals:
Women's 100m backstroke
Sixth at the half-way turn in 27.90, Olivia Smoliga, an American 18-year-old out on the wing in lane 1, stormed past more experienced rivals on the way home to a 56.64 victory. The silver went to Mie Nielsen (DEN) in 57.07, bronze to Simona Baumrtova (CZE) in 57.18, the half-way leader Rachel Goh (AUS) locked out in 57.31, Britain's Georgia Davies 0.01sec away.
Smoliga's win marks a huge step up: on 59.82 long-course at US trials but never having registered a short-course metres time, she is now second-best ever American in between the 55.97 of 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin and the 56.73 best of 2012 Olympic champion Melissa Franklin.
The result:
Dubai 2010:
History in the making:
World s/c Podiums
Most world titles in this event: 2
Haley Cope (USA) 2002,04
World Records
All-time textile rankings top 5: