Beata Nelson Becomes 4th Woman to Break 50 in 100 Backstroke – 49.78

2018 WOMEN’S B1G TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

We knew she was having a great year, and tonight Beata Nelson has dropped the hammer.

The Wisconsin sophomore, after breaking her 200 IM school record by over a full second with a 1:53.85, unleashed a 49.78 100 backstroke to lead off Wisconsin’s 400 medley relay at the end of the session.

SPLITS

  • 24.07/25.71

Nelson was out in a 24.07, and came back hard with a 25.71 to put together her time of 49.78, the second-fastest time ever done. Nelson becomes just the fourth woman to ever break 50 in the 100 back, and the third woman to do so since March of 2017. Ally Howe was the second woman to break 50 after the legendary Natalie Coughlin did so in 2002 (49.97), meaning Coughlin’s record stood for well over a decade.

Howe was 49.69 at Pac-12s last February, a time that still stands as the American record.

Kathleen Baker then went 49.80 and 49.84 at the 2017 NCAA Championships, as she was the third woman to break 50. Nelson is now the fourth, but her time is the second-fastest in history.

TOP PERFORMANCES 100 BACK ALL-TIME

  1. Ally Howe – 49.69 (2017)
  2. Beata Nelson – 49.78 (2018)
  3. Kathleen Baker – 49.80 (2017)
  4. Kathleen Baker – 49.84 (2017)
  5. Natalie Coughlin – 49.97 (2002)

Nelson’s time is also a huge Big Ten record– she already had it with her 50.79 from December, and before Nelson, the record was IU grad Brooklynn Snodgrass’s 51.05.

Race Video:

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Fiveos
6 years ago

Nice advertising for a3, clearly shows it’s a quality suit.

tallswimmmer
Reply to  Fiveos
6 years ago

Badgers are in Speedo now – that’s a pic from her old club team…

Fiveos
Reply to  tallswimmmer
6 years ago

Thanks, my daughter just pointed that out to me as well.

Jerimiah Knots
6 years ago

she would have went faster if she wansnt wearing an A3 suit…. comon

Swammin
Reply to  Jerimiah Knots
6 years ago

Wisconsin hasn’t worn A3 for about a year. They’re now Speedo.

Big10 Boyz
6 years ago

Nice to see Nelson bounce back after her freshman year!

anonymous
6 years ago

yayyy beata!!!

KNOW IT ALL
6 years ago

Kathleen Baker #1 – 49.60

Source (NCAA records):
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/swimming_rb/WomensSwimRecs.pdf

KNOW IT ALL
Reply to  KNOW IT ALL
6 years ago

Looks like the NCAA site is incorrect…ignore the above

Ervin
Reply to  KNOW IT ALL
6 years ago

was that the lead off in Cal’s 400 medley relay got DQ’d at NCAA’s last year?? If so i think it should count…the relayed didnt get DQ’d till the final leg

Ervin
Reply to  Ervin
6 years ago

looked it up. She went 49.80…idk where the 49.60 came from

Coach Mike 1952
Reply to  Ervin
6 years ago

typo – keystroke / input error

A non-e mouse
6 years ago

Wow

Spectator
6 years ago

WOW

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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