2026 FRENCH ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Saturday, June 27th – Thursday, July 2nd
- Piscine Raymond Sommet, Saint-Etienne, France
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Women’s 100 Backstroke — Final
- World Record: 57.13 — Regan Smith, USA (2024)
- World Junior Record: 57.57 — Regan Smith, USA (2019)
French Record: 58.79 — Emma Terebo (2024)- French European Championships Qualifying Time: 1:00.27
Top 3 Finishers
- Gold: Mary-Ambre Moluh — 58.25 **New French Record
- Silver: Pauline Mahieu — 59.57 **QT
- Bronze: Beryl Gastaldello — 59.76 **QT
Riding the hot hand from last night’s 50 backstroke French Record of 27.20, Mary-Ambre Moluh has done it again, this time, in double the distance, and in dominant fashion; downing the 100 back national mark in 58.25, over half a second faster than the former mark held by Emma Terebo in 58.79.
Coming into the event’s final, she was the lone swimmer in the prelims to dip under that 1:00 barrier in 59.66, just ahead of Beryl Gastaldello in 1:00.25, though the final told a different story; three women would dip under that barrier, though only Moluh would manage to be under 59 seconds.
That time also marks a big drop for the rising Cal junior, whose previous best was earlier this month in Portugal at 59.01, putting her just behind Terebo in the All-Time rankings among French swimmers.
Fastest French 100 Backstroke Performers All-Time (LCM)
- Mary-Ambre Moluh – 58.25 (2026)
- Emma Terebo – 58.79 (2024)
- Pauline Mathieu – 59.13 (2025)
- Beryl Gastaldello – 59.17 (2024)
- Laure Manaudou – 59.50 (2008)
Moluh is the latest beneficiary of the Cal backstroke progression, which has seen several Olympic and World Champions come through its waters over the last several years. Just this past season for Cal, Moluh finished 4th at the NCAA Championships (SCY) in the 100 back (49.95) after touching 3rd a few weeks earlier at the ACC Championships (SCY) in 49.64.
This time now moves her up to 5th in the world this season in the 100 back, which has been a heavily contested event across the planet for the entirety of the calendar year thus far.
2025-2026 LCM Women 100 BACK
Smith
57.49
| 2 | Isabelle Stadden | USA | 57.55 | 05/02 |
| 3 | Kaylee MCKEOWN | AUS | 57.77 | 06/09 |
| 4 | Katharine Berkoff | USA | 58.20 | 06/17 |
| 5 | Mary-Ambre Moluh | FRA | 58.25 | 06/30 |
Moluh now moves with .17 seconds of the European Record set by Great Britain’s Kathleen Dawson in 2021. While North Americans Katharine Berkoff, Kylie Masse, Kathleen Baker, Regan Smith, and Isabelle Stadden, plus Australians Mollie O’Callaghan and Kaylee McKeown, have made 57s seem commonplace, no European woman has been better than 58.08.
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It’s insane no European women has ever been 57
I don’t think many women from any country have ever been under 57.
There aren’t many under 58.5 either; the majority on this list are American.
Only three countries have been 57, to be fair. Regan and McKeown have convinced us that 57 is the standard operating speed for the 100 back even though there hasn’t ever been an internationl podium without a 58
besides the 2024 Olympics
The first woman under 58 was Regan Smith in 2019. It was just a few years ago. There are only six swimmers in 57.
She’s just 0.17 off the european record, 58.08 by the Brit Kathleen Dawson in 2021. Maybe broken in August ? She’s far ahead the other european female swimmers for now. In her post-race interview she told that she hoped a bit better. Maybe a sub 58 ? If she continues her progression she could be a contender for an Olympic medal in two years. The bronze medal should be around 57.6-57.7
Holy crap that’s moving. Would’ve been fourth or better at every single meet in history, and would’ve medaled at 2022/23/24 worlds. Amazing swim
Wow that wording is crazy to think about – 4th or better at every meet in history
hope Sarah Curtis adds 100LCM to her future events
with a 49.5 100SCY and 27.0 50LCM she should be in the mid 58 range
and a good rivalry with Moluh Italian-French
Did Emma Terebo retire? Where is she now? Don’t think she’s competed since the Paris Olympics.
Was going to ask the same, but then I saw that she finished her last year of college swimming in 2021 so if she retired in 2024, she would have been around 25-26 at the time. She might not have wanted to try for another 4 years (Olympic cycle)?
Yes. She decided to retire after the Olympics in 2024.