USA’s Leah Shackley Downs Women’s 100 Back WUGS Record

2025 World University Games

• July 17th-23rd, 2025
• Berlin, Germany
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Meet Central
• Entries List
• Live Results
• Event Preview
• How To Watch
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  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

The semi-finals of the women’s 100m backstroke were among the events on day three of the 2025 World University Games and the American women would not be denied the top two slots.

NC State Wolfpack member Leah Shackley beat the field in the sole time under the 59-second barrier, clocking 58.97 to land lane 4 for tomorrow night’s main event.

Behind her was fellow American Kennedy Noble who grabbed the 2nd seed in 59.19, the only other sub-minute time of the pack

Both Shackley and Nobel dipped under the former World University Games Record of 59.59, American Katharine Berkoff put on the books in 2019.

Women’s 100m Backstroke Top 8:

1. Leah Shackley (USA) – 58.97 *WUGS Record
2. Kennedy Noble (USA) – 59.19
3. Camila Rodrigues Rebelo (POR) – 1:00.71
4. Lee Eunji (KOR) – 1:00.73
5. Michaela de Villiers (RSA) – 1:00.81
6. Federica Toma (ITA) – 1:00.87
7. Ashley McMillan (CAN) – 1:00.89
8. Aimi Nagaoka (JPN) – 1:01.08

Shackley split 28.79/30.18 to surge ahead of her competitors while Noble split 28.64/30.55 in the first semi-final.

For Shackley, tonight’s effort represents the 3rd-best time of her young career, one which boasts a lifetime best of 58.53 from May of this year.

As for Noble, she’s been as speedy as 58.55, a marker she put down at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Both Shackley and Noble put a dent into the season’s world rankings, with the former’s 58.97 checking her in as the globe’s 12th-best and the latter’s 59.19 rendering her the 17th-swiftest thus far.

They’ll need to dip under the 58-second barrier, however, to rival fellow American Regan Smith, Australian Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown and Canada’s Kylie Masse.