Coleman Stewart is a competitive swimmer who represents the United States internationally. He is a world record-holder, World University Games medalist, and multi-NCAA champion.
World Record – ISL Season 3 (Cali Condors)
Coleman Stewart produced the first World Record of the 2021 ISL season in Match #2 with a stunning 48.33 effort in the 100 meter backstroke, taking more than half-a-second from his previous lifetime best, set the previous day at 48.91, an American Record.
The 100-meter backstroke World Record is the first of Stewart’s career. Stewart spent the maximum of 60 meters underwater and only took 34 strokes in the race.
STEWART STROKE COUNT, 48.33:
- 1st 25: 8 strokes
- 2nd 25: 8 strokes
- 3rd 25: 8 strokes
- 4th 25: 10 strokes
- Total: 34 strokes
Personal Life
Coleman Stewart comes from a family surrounded by swimmers. His father, Andy, swam for Bucknell; his sister, Sada, swam for Princeton and his brother Noah swims for Dartmouth. It was inevitable Stewart would find himself on a similar path. After being named Maryland Swimmer of the Year in 2014 and 2015 while training at North Baltimore Athletic Club, he moved to North Carolina to join the NC State Wolfpack.
College (North Carolina State)
2016-2017
Stewart made an immediate impact during his freshman year on the Wolfpack team that spent most of the season as the top ranked team in the country. He made headlines over the Christmas training period for posting a 43.9 100 yard backstroke from a push in an old Jaked suit.
At his first ACC Championships Stewart helped NC State to win the conference by adding points for the team in each of his events. To start of the week, he won gold as a member of the Wolfpack’s 200 yard medley relay. He then picked up a bronze medal in the 100 yard backstroke in 55.99. He also finished 5th in the 100 yard butterfly and 11th in the 200 yard backstroke.
At the NCAA Championships, Stewart earned All-American honors after the Wolfpack swam to a 6th place finish in the 200 yard medley with Stewart leading off on the backstroke leg. Individually, he finished 14th in the 100 yard backstroke and 25th in the 200 yard backstroke.
2017-2018
Following a successful freshman season, Stewart came back faster than ever. At the ACC Championships, Stewart got second in the 100 butterfly behind his teammate Ryan Held. He also won the 100 backstroke with the time of 44.54 which was the fastest time in the nation. On the last day, Stewart touched the wall first in the 200 backstroke with a new best time of 1:39.56. To finish off the meet, he was a part of the 400 freestyle relay which broke the American Record. Their time of 2:45.69 was almost five seconds faster than Florida State’s relay that ended up second.
On Friday, Stewart had a tough double and he entered the 100 butterfly as the 11th seed and the 100 backstroke as the seventh seed. After a disappointing morning swim in the 100 butterfly, Stewart returned to finals and won the B-final with a time of 44.84. He used the momentum to his advantage and won the NCAA Championship title in the 100 backstroke later in the session. He beat Texas’ John Shebat by only 0.01 seconds with a time of 44.58. His teammate Andreas Vazaios took third with the time of 44.81. Stewart was also a part of Wolfpack’s record breaking 400 freestyle relay where they destroyed the previous American Record they had set a few weeks earlier at the ACC Championships. They won the relay in 2:44.31 and Stewart anchored the relay with a 41.62. Wolfpack got fourth overall for the third year in a row.
2018-2019
Stewart kept the ball rolling in his junior campaign, garnering an ACC Co-MVP title (shared with Georgia Tech’s Caio Pumputis) at the 2019 ACC Championships. At those championships, Stewart won gold in the 100 (44.44) and 200 backstroke (1:39.10), the former a new ACC conference and meet record, and finished 2nd in the 100 fly (45.09). He also reset his ACC record in the 100 back with a 44.36 leading off the Wolfpack’s winning 400 medley relay.
At NCAA’s, Stewart placed 2nd in both the 100 fly (44.46) and 100 back (43.98), pulling best times out of both events in a single finals session. Stewart also placed 4th in the 200 back with a new best time of 1:38.81.
2019-2020
Stewart repeated as the ACC champ in the 100 (44.04) and 200 back (1:37.71), breaking the ACC overall record in the latter. He also repeated as the runner-up in the 100 fly, going 44.92.
National/International Competition
2016 U.S. Olympic Trials
In his first Olympic Trials appearance, Stewart finished 78th in the 200 meter backstroke and 135th in the 100 meter backstroke.
2018 Summer Nationals
At the 2018 summer nats in Irvine, Stewart swam a lifetime best of 52.17 in the 100 fly, finishing 1st in the B heat and 9th overall. This swim qualified him for the 2019 World University Games in both the 100 and 50 fly.
2019 World University Games
At WUGs in Naples, Italy, Stewart won his first international medal. He began things in the 50 fly, qualifying for the final and finishing 8th overall in 24.00. In the 100 fly, Stewart touched for 3rd in 52.11, a new best time and good for a bronze medal.
2020 U.S. Olympic Trials
At his 2nd Trials, Stewart started with a 10th place finish in the 100 back (53.91). He then made the final of the 100 free, placing 8th overall with a time of 48.51. In his last event, the 100 fly, Stewart swam a personal best of 51.54 in semis to place himself 3rd heading into the final. In that final, Stewart tied for 4th in 51.78.
