2025 World University Games
- July 17th-23rd, 2025
- Prelims: 9 a.m. local time (3 a.m. EST)
- Finals: 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. EST)
- Berlin, Germany
- LCM (50 Meters)
- Meet Central
- Entries List
- Live Results
- Livestream
- Live Recaps
MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – Semifinals
- World Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, ITA (2022)
- World Junior Record: 52.08 – Miron Lifintsev, RUS (2024)
World University Games Record: 52.60 – Ryosuke Irie, JPN (2009)
Top-8 Qualifiers:
- Pieter Coetze (RSA)- 52.18 *NEW AFRICAN & MEET RECORD*
- Will Modglin (USA)- 52.75
- Daniel Diehl (USA)-53.48
- Mathys Chouchaoui (FRA)- 53.70
- Jules Andre (FRA)- 53.95
- Aleksei Tkachev (AIN)- 54.34
- Pietro Ubertalli (ITA)- 54.48
- Yuga Nishimura (JPN)- 54.57
The crazy 2025 times in the men’s 100 backstroke continued today at the World University Games, with Pieter Coetze throwing down a marker of 52.18 to not only establish a new World University Games meet record but also a new African standard in the event.
He held the prior African record courtesy of his 52.58 from the Paris Olympic final, while the former meet record belonged to Japanese legend Ryosuke Irie with his 52.90 from the 2009 edition of the competition.
This type of swim was foreshadowed yesterday when Coetze led off Team South Africa’s 5th-place 4×100 freestyle relay squad in 47.88, shattering his previous best time of 48.53 from April and threatening the 2009 South African record of 47.79 held by Lyndon Ferns.
When comparing Coetze’s swim tonight with his previous record, all of the improvement stemmed from the back half, as he took the race out five hundredths slower and powered home over the final 50 meters 0.45 faster. See a full splits comparison between the two swims below.
Splits Comparison:
| Coetze’s New World University Games & African Record | Coetze’s Former African Record | |
| 1st 50 | 25.42 | 25.37 |
| 2nd 50 | 26.76 | 27.21 |
| Time | 52.18 | 52.58 |
- Splits are unavailable for Irie’s 2009 meet record.
Coetze now sits 4th in the world standings this year.
2024-2025 LCM Men 100 Back
CECCON
51.80
| 2 | Pieter Coetze | RSA | 51.85 | 07/29 |
| 3 | Yohann NDOYE-BROUARD | FRA | 51.92 | 07/29 |
| 4 | Kliment Kolesnikov | RUS | 52.04 | 04/14 |
| 5 | Oliver Morgan | GBR | 52.12 | 04/17 |
Coetze is entered to swim all three backstroke distances, along with the 50 and 100 free, at the Singapore World Championships, which begin July 26. He is expected to race the 50 back and 100 free later in this competition, but not the 200 back or 50 free. He appears to be opting out of the remaining Berlin action after day four, presumably to resume training or begin final preparations for Worlds.
In 2022, Coetze announced plans to train at the University of California, but reversed course a year later, opting to remain in South Africa and turn professional.
Coetze won the World Junior title in the 200 back in 2022 (1:56.05), plus silver in the 50 back (24.61) and 100 back (52.99).
He didn’t compete at the 2023 Worlds, but his lifetime-best 24.36 from the 2023 South African Championships in April would have won bronze in Fukuoka, Japan. Coetze’s then-personal-best 52.78 in the 100 back from the same meet would have placed 5th at Worlds. He also won the 50 back (24.89), 100 back (53.44), and silver in the 200 back (1:57.05) at August’s European U23 Swimming Championships.
The South African started 2024 with a bang at the World Championships, where Coetze claimed his first senior World medal with bronze in the 200 back. Recording 1:55.99, he was in 8th at the 150 turn before dropping a hammer of a last 50, splitting 28.67 to surge home and earn a podium spot while threatening the supersuited African record of 1:55.75.
In Paris, Coetzee made finals in both backstroke events, placing 5th in the 100 (52.58) and 7th in the 200 (1:55.60)—both new continental and national records. At the Olympics, he became the first South African man other than Chad le Clos to reach an Olympic final since the 2016 Rio Games, when Cameron van der Burgh won silver in the 100 breaststroke and Brad Tandy touched 6th in the 50 free.
He also dominated the backstroke events at all three World Cup stops, sweeping the 100 and 200 and setting new continental records in the 50 and 100, though he opted not to compete at Short Course Worlds. Had he competed in Budapest, his 200 back time of 1:49.12 from Shanghai would have been fast enough for bronze.
While the focus of this article is Coetze’s record-setting swim, American Will Modglin also delivered a standout performance. His time of 52.75 not only marked a massive personal best, but it would have won the event at U.S. Nationals last month, securing him a spot on the U.S. World Championships team had he posted it there.
At Nationals, Tommy Janton claimed the win in 53.00, while Modglin placed 5th in 53.83. His previous personal best heading into this meet was 53.59, set during prelims at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. He went on to finish 6th in the final with a slightly slower 53.69. Earlier today, he shaved that time down to 53.47 in prelims before dropping a stunning 52.75 in the final.
With that swim, Modglin now ranks as the 10th-fastest American in history in the event.
I’m still not entirely sure of the qualifying rules, but I think this puts Modglin on the Pan Pacs team for next summer (unless two US men swim faster at worlds/world jrs/august tyr meet)
Great swim by Pieter, but don’t count the chickens before they hatch.
If you watched the race, it was clear Modglin cruised the last 15-20 meters after being over a body length ahead of his heat at the fifty(0.80 sec.); Will was :25.39 compared to :26.19 and :26.34 in 2nd and 3rd. Coetze was pressed by Diehl and others (3 folks besides Coetze at :26.00 or faster in his heat), and Pieter needed to push hard over the last 20-25 meters to pull away.
Will actually had slightly better opening speed, splitting 0.03 faster than Coetze, 25.39 compared to Pieter’s :25.42.
Coetze is clearly the favorite based on the superb nature of a :52.18, but only by relatively small… Read more »
how did Coetze compete at European U23 meet when he’s from south africa?
Probably the same way how Brazilian and South Africa swimmers to be able to swim in Pan Pacs.
Charter membership.
In the first edition, they allowed one special invited “guest nation” from each other continent, presumably with the eye of “if we get a few big names to participate, we’ll get more interest from our nations.”
They didn’t continue that this year.
Why would you come to this meet right before worlds…
Great swim. Maybe skipping the NCAA was the right decision.
Wow but I doubt he can sustain this form for 2 weeks into Worlds.
He might be 51 mid at Worlds if he planned this cycle properly.
Think about Modglin did after his Trials, not too long ago! He dropped big time. Maybe Pieter can rest more after wugs and go even faster!
Bottom line is there is no one way to prepare! Coetze is a talent and no guarantee any swimmer will be on at the big meet!