Women's 200 Backstroke Revival

Every event in swimming goes through highs and lows. There will be periods when they are incredibly exciting, loaded with talent, and capture the attention of the swimming community (think Popov vs. Jager vs. Biondi in the 50 free in the early 90’s; or Phelps vs. Lochte vs. Clary vs. Cseh in the 200 IM in the modern day). In much the same way, entire fields of events can also go through a lull, where not much happens, and they are sort of forgotten about.

The women’s 200 free has been perhaps the worst offender of the latter of these over the last few decades (or, forever). Very rarely in conversation during that time has the Olympic potential of women’s 200 backstrokers been a hot topic of conversation. Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry has been very good over the past two Olympics, where she’s taken gold, but we’re finding out now that even in a suit her times weren’t that spectacular. Before her came Diana Mocanu of Romania (tell me you knew that). Before her was the Olympic three-peat of Hungary’s Krisztina Egerszegi, but as an indicator of where the world of women’s 200 backstroke was at that time, she broke the World Record in 1991 at the age of 17 in 2:06.62, and never really scared that mark again before retiring at only the age of 22.

No swimmer from the world’s two major swimming nations (the USA and Australia) has won an Olympic gold medal in the event since 1972 (Melissa Belote). China, the new power, has never won an Olympic medal, period, in the event. Not that those three countries have to win every medal for an event to be exciting, but it has to happen every once in a while to draw the biggest fan bases to an event. If the last 6 Olympic titles are won by swimmers from Zimbabwe, Romania, and Hungary, not too many people are going to get excited about an event, no matter how great those swimmers are.

The World Record stood from when Egerszegi set it in 1991 all the way until 2008, when Coventry broke it in a LZR. While Natalie Coughlin was breaking new barriers in the 100 backstroke, and bringing the rest of the swimming world with her, the 200 was stagnant.

But the tide might be turning in the 200 backstroke. The leader, of course, is the new fastest-ever in textile Missy Franklin, who won the World Championship over the summer at only 16 years old. For an event to be great, it needs an exciting swimmer at the top, and no swimmer in the world is more exciting than Missy Franklin is right now.

Two other teenagers, Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands and Daryna Zevina of the Ukraine are improving at unbelievable clips, though they’re already two of the five best in the world. Zevina showed this weekend in Dubai the sort of performances she’s capable in this race, and I think if anyone’s going to challenge Franklin it could actually be her.

Elizabeth Beisel of the United States is leaning more towards an IM’er at present, but she’s another teenager who could medal in this race in London, and keeps getting better-and-better. Even Liz Pelton could do damage.

Belinda Hocking at 21 is the “veteran” of the group, but with a runner-up finish in London has shown that it’s not all about the teenagers. There’s also China’s Jing Zhao who might actually be the most complete backstroker in the world, but has simply been unable to put this 200 back together at a World Championship for even a medal.

The UK is even getting in on the fun with Gemma Spofforth and Elizabeth Simmonds seeming to be every year medal candidates who come up just short. Megan Nay gives the Australians another dog in the fight besides Hocking, and Japan’s Shiho Sakai can’t be counted out either, and the World Record holder Kirsty Coventry will still be fighting for a three-peat of her own.

Fans of the women’s 200 backstroke, now is your time to come out of the closet. This is an exciting race headed towards London, and the race will go to new heights. Not only by one swimmer, but by the whole field. It’s going to take a 2:07 or better just to Final in London, which is a level of speed we’ve never seen in any type of suit ever.

There’s so much youth that is putting up such spectacular times in this race, that I don’t think there are many claims that could be hyperbole here. The 200 backstroke might, at this Olympic, go from being sort of an afterthought to maybe even the most significant race of the meet. It seems almost inevitable that the World Record is a goner, the question will be how many swimmers are going to break the record.