Mie Nielsen, Baumrtova Break Euro Record in 100 Back

Mie Nielsen’s comeback from injury seems to be complete, and her return on the meteoric path as well. Nielsen has crushed her own Danish Record in the 100m backstroke final, and also broken the European Record – she was one of two swimmers under the old European Record in the final.

Nielsen swam a 55.99. The old European Record belonged to Ksenia Moskvina of Russia in 56.36, and the old Danish Record was Nielsen’s in 56.74 from last year’s World Short Course Championships in Istanbul.

After last year’s meet, Nielsen sat out most of the 2013 long course season with a knee injury, but since returning has been unstoppable, seeming to break a Danish Record (relay or individual) at almost every meet she enters.

Also under the old record was Czech swimmer Simona Baumrtova in 56.28. The old Czech Record was hers at 57.18.

The World Record still belongs to Japan’s Shiho Sakai in 55.23, also done in a 2009 in a rubber suit.

Splits:

• Old ER: Moskvinga – 27.11 – 29.25
• New ER: Nielsen – 27.16 – 28.83
• New CR: Baumrtova – 27.04 – 29.24

So with that swim, Nielsen made up ground on a suited record in the last 50. That’s impressive, given that one of the tales of the polyurethane suits is that they reduced fatigue significantly at the ends of races.