Maggie MacNeil Breaks Own World Record in SCM 50 Back – 25.25

2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, December 13 to Sunday, December 18, 2022
• Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, Melbourne, Australia
• SCM (25m)
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Day 4 Finals Recap

WOMEN’S 50M BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• World Record: 25.27 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2021
• World Junior Record: 26.13 – Olivia Smoliga, USA (2012)
• Championship Record: 25.27 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN), 2021
• 2021 Champion: 25.27 – Maggie MacNeil (CAN)

RESULTS:

1. GOLD: Maggie MacNeil (Canada) – 25.25 (World Record)
2. SILVER: Claire Curzan (United States) – 25.54
3. BRONZE: Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) – 25.61
4. Kylie Masse (Canada) – 25.81
5. Louise Hansson (Sweden) – 26.00
6. Hanna Rosvall (Sweden) – 26.05
7. Julie Jensen (Denmark) – 26.14
8. Maaike de Waard (Netherlands) – 26.16

Maggie MacNeil broke her own World Record in the women’s 50 backstroke final tonight in Melbourne. MacNeil clocked a 25.25, clipping her previous WR mark of 25.27, which she swam at the 2021 Short Course World Championships last December.

The win marks MacNeil’s second individual gold medal of these World Championships, and her fourth medal when including relays. She tied for gold in the women’s 50 fly final on night three of the meet, and the Canadian women’s 4×100 free relay and mixed 4×50 medley relays both earned bronze medals. With her medal tonight, MacNeil has now won nine SC World Champs medals in her career, six of which have been gold.

A few things have changed for MacNeil since she first set the World Record last December, which was also her first World Record of her career. Firstly, MacNeil has reunited with Rick Bishop, who coached her at the University of Michigan for the first three years of MacNeil’s collegiate career, during which time she became a premier swimmer in the world.

On top of that, MacNeil stepped back from racing a bit this past spring and summer, citing a post-Olympic letdown and the need to take a break from racing. MacNeil still competed at meets over the summer, but essentially only raced on relays. It’s possible that taking a small step back from competition has paid off for MacNeil this fall.

MacNeil will have prelims of the women’s 100 fly tomorrow morning, an event in which she is among the favorites to win.