2021 FINA SHORT COURSE SWIMMING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, December 16th – Tuesday, December 21st
- Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- SCM (25m)
- Prize Money
- Meet Site
- Psych Sheet
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- FINA Live Results
- Omega Live Results
Reported by Michael Hamann.
Women’s 50 back Final
- World Record: 25.60 – TOUSSAINT Kira (NED) 14 NOV 2020 / 18 DEC 2020
- Championship Record: 25.67 – MEDEIROS Etiene (BRA) 7 DEC 2014
- World Junior Record: 26.13 – SMOLIGA Olivia (USA) 16 DEC 2012
Top 8 finishers:
- Maggie MacNeil (CAN): 25.27 (WR)
- Kylie Masse (CAN): 25.62
- Louise Hansson (SWE): 25.86
- Analia Pigree (FRA): 25.96
- Maaike de Waard (NED): 25.99
- Caroline Pilhatsch (AUT): 26.05
- Holly Barratt (AUS): 26.18
- Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN): 26.50
Canada’s Maggie MacNeil obliterated the World Record by over three tenths to take the gold medal in 25.27. The swim is even more impressive given the context that it came shortly after MacNeil took the top seed in women’s 100 fly semis.
Her countrymate Kyle Masse touched second in 25.62 to grab the silver, just off of Kira Toussaint’s former World Record of 25.60, to place her third all-time in the event. Her silver here makes it a clean silver sweep in the backstrokes for Masse, who also finished second in the 100 and 200 back earlier in the meet. Notably Toussaint finished 10th in the semis and was not in this final.
True on the underwater for sure. However with the LC world record at 26.9 I can’t help but think she could approach that as well. The difference of 1.7 sec over 1 additional 14m underwater plus a little bit of tempo fatigue? Maybe she’ll give a run in May ’22. She is also a 59. 100 Backstroker in a non-championship meet. All her breakout swims are in champs finals with all the $$ on the line…!
Chris Mooney just said in a podcast that MCKeown broke the 50 back LC WR 3 times in a row in training. Not joking. She just never swims it in competition. Would love to see McKeown and MacNeil against each other.
Us neither
Reminding that 22.22 (still WR) from Manaudou at SC Worlds 2014 in Doha, it’s obvious that 50 SCM backstroke is more for powerful underwaters specialists than backstroke specialists..
And genetic tempo freaks. Both Manaudou’s and MacNeil’s tempo were insane. Practically a blur. Not being primary backstrokers is to their advantage. That kind of tempo is something that gets bred out of the typical backstroke who’s emphasizing the 100 and 200.
She has incredible underwaters.
Great swim!