KATHLEEN BAKER SETS NEW WORLD RECORD IN 100 BACK – 58.00

Cal’s Kathleen Baker took down the world record in the 100 back Saturday night in finals at the 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships.

Baker put up a 0.56 reaction time, then split 27.90/30.10 for her final time of 58.00 – her lifetime best before Saturday was 58.54. She bests Kylie Masse‘s previous record of 58.10. In second was Olivia Smoliga in 58.75, and in third, Regan Smith with a new world junior record of 58.83. Smith moves ahead of Natalie Coughlin in the all-time American ranks.

Baker had been 59.27 in prelims, making her the No. 3 seed going into finals. Baker tied for first Thursday in the 200 back with Smith, going 2:06.43; she scratched the 50 yesterday presumably to rest for the 100, which paid off.

SPLITS COMPARISON: BAKER WR VS. MASSE WR

Baker’s record came entirely from her stellar first 50. While Baker took only a tenth off of Masse’s previous world record, her first split was over six tenths faster than Masse’s was, and Baker actually closed just over half a second slower.

	1ST 50	2ND 50	FINAL TIME
Kathleen Baker, 2018	27.9	30.1	58
Kylie Masse, 2017	28.51	29.59	58.1

	FASTEST PERFORMERS EVER: WOMEN’S 100 BACK
1	Kathleen Baker	58.00
2	Kylie Masse	58.10
3	Gemma Spoffort	58.12
4	Anastasia Fesikova	58.18
5	Emily Seebohm	58.23
6	Missy Franklin	58.33
7	Katinka Hosszu	58.45
8	Aya Terakawa	58.70
9	Fu Yuanhui	58.72
10	Mie Nielsen	58.73

2017-2018 LCM WOMEN 100 BACK

KATHLEENUSA
BAKER

07/2858.00*WR

2	KYLIE MASSE	CAN	58.54	02/04
3	EMILY SEEBOHM	AUS	58.66	04/07
4	OLIVIA SMOLIGA	USA	58.75	07/28
5	REGAN SMITH	USA	58.83*WJR	07/28