Katharine Berkoff Downs WUG 100 Back Record in Prelims with 59.57

2019 World University Games/Summer Universiade – Swimming

Women’s 100 Backstroke – Semi-final

  • World Record – 58.00, Kathleen Baker (USA), 2018
  • Meet Record – 59.57 Katharine Berkoff (USA), 2019

Katharine Berkoff of the United States broke the World University Games record in the women’s 100 back on Saturday, swimming the best time of her career in morning prelims. In the last heat, she went 59.57 to take .26 off the meet record of 59.83 set by Anastasia Zueva (RUS) in 2013. She also took .02 off her personal best of 59.59, which she had swum last summer in a swim-off at Junior Pan Pacific Championships. That performance set the Junior Pan Pacs record.

On Saturday night in Napoli, Berkoff cranked a 59.82 in the second semi-final. While just off her morning meet record, she was still the only sub-minute backstroker in the field and will swim in lane 4 in Sunday night’s final. Berkoff has been working on her up-front speed, as can be seen in the progression below. Out nearly 6/10 faster than in her record-breaking swim of the morning, she came home about 8/10 slower. If she can hang on in tomorrow night’s final, Berkoff will approach 59-flat.

  2018 Jr Pan Pacs (prelims) 2019 WUGS (prelims) 2019 WUGS (semi-finals)
First 50 29.25 29.14 28.58
Second 50 30.34 30.43 31.24
Final time 59.59 59.57 59.82

Berkoff, who will be a freshman at North Carolina State University in the fall, now ranks #13 on the all-time list of American in the 100 backstroke:

  1. 58.00 – Baker, Kathleen – 2018 Summer Nationals
  2. 58.33 – Franklin, Missy – 2012 Olympic Games
  3. 58.45 – Smith, Regan – 2019 IN ISI Counsilman Classic
  4. 58.73 – Smoliga, Olivia – 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series #3 – Richmond
  5. 58.94 – Hall, Natalie – 2008 Olympic Games
  6. 59.10 – Bootsma, Rachel – USA Olympic Team Trials
  7. 59.11 – McGregory, Hayley – 2008 U. S. Open
  8. 59.12 – Bacon, Phoebe – 2018 Summer Nationals
  9. 59.27 – Pelton, Elizabeth – 2013 USA National Champs
  10. 59.37 – Bilquist, Amy – U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming
  11. 59.40 – Stevens, Hannah – UMiz Invite
  12. 59.43 – DeLoof, Ali – 2017 Arena Pro Swim Mesa
  13. 59.57 – Berkoff, Katharine – 2019 World University Games
  14. 59.58 – Adams, Claire – 2015 U.S. National Champs

Berkoff now ranks 9th in the world for 2019:

2018-2019 LCM WOMEN 100 BACK

ReganUSA
SMITH
07/28
57.57 *WR
2Kylie
MASSE
CAN58.1604/03
3Taylor
RUCK
CAN58.5504/03
4Minna
ATHERTON
AUS58.6007/22
5Olivia
SMOLIGA
USA58.7304/12
6Margherita
PANZIERA
ITA58.9204/04
7Phoebe
BACON
USA59.0208/10
8Kathleen
BAKER
USA59.0307/22
9Kaylee
McKEOWN
AUS59.1007/23
10Georgia
DAVIES
GBR59.2507/24
View Top 26»

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ACC fan
5 years ago

CONGRATULATIONS Katharine!! Go WOLFPACK!

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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