2021 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, December 16th – Tuesday, December 21st
- Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- SCM (25m)
- Prize Money
- Meet Site
- Psych Sheet
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- FINA Live Results
- Omega Live Results
WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – SEMIFINALS
- World Record: 25.60 – TOUSSAINT Kira (NED) 14 NOV 2020 / 18 DEC 2020
- Championship Record: 25.67 – MEDEIROS Etiene (BRA) 7 DEC 2014
- World Junior Record: 26.13 – SMOLIGA Olivia (USA) 16 DEC 2012
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Louise Hansson (SWE) – 25.83
- Kylie Masse (CAN) – 25.84
- Maggie MacNeil (CAN) – 25.92
- Maaike de Waard (NED) – 25.97
- Analia Pigree (FRA) – 26.07
- Julie Jensen (DEN) – 26.25
- Caroline Pilhatsch (AUT) – 26.29
- Holly Barratt (AUS) – 26.38
Sweden’s Louise Hansson cracked the Swedish Record again in the 50 back. Hansson won the first semifinal heat of the women’s 50 back tonight, establishing an event-leading 25.83. Her swim marks her 2nd Swedish Record of the meet in the 50 back. Earlier in the meet, Hansson swam a 25.91 lead-off leg on the women’s medley relay to break the record. Hansson now sits just 0.23 seconds off the World Record, and 0.16 seconds off the Championship Record.
Winning Gold, let alone breaking any records, will be a tough battle for Hansson tomorrow night, however. Canadian duo Kylie Masse and Maggie MacNeil are looking live to do some damage. In a very tight race in semifinal heat 2, Masse edged out MacNeil, swimming a 25.84, just 0.01 seconds slower than Hansson. With the swim, Masse coincidentally tied MacNeil’s Canadian Record in the event.
Hansson is now tied for #7 all-time in the women’s SCM 50 back, while Masse and MacNeil are tied for #9. Here is the current all-time top 10 performers list in the women’s 50 back:
| Rank | Time | Swimmer | Date |
| 1 | 25.60 | Kira Toussaint | 11/14/2020 |
| 2 | 25.67 | Etiene Medeiros | 12/7/2014 |
| 3 | 25.70 | Sanja Jovanovic | 12/12/2009 |
| 4 | 25.74 | Olivia Smoliga | 10/16/2020 |
| 5 | 25.81 | Minna Atherton | 10/26/2019 |
| 6 | 25.82 | Zhao Jing | 1/1/2010 |
| 7 | 25.83 | Emily Seebohm | 12/7/2014 |
| 7 | 25.83 | Louise Hansson | 12/19/2021 |
| 9 | 25.84 | Maggie MacNeil | 10/1/2021 |
| 9 | 25.84 | Kylie Masse | 12/19/2021 |
MacNeil swam a 25.92, only 0.09 off Hansson. Netherlands’ Maaike de Waard swam a 25.97, setting up what will surely be an exciting final tomorrow night. Also of note, World Record holder Kira Toussaint finished 10th this morning in 26.43, and won’t be advancing to finals.
Kira seems to be having a terrible meet. I watched her interview on the Fina Facebook page when she said that everything she has been doing has been building towards this event.
Have to feel for swimmers (or any elite athlete) when things don’t go their way and what that does to their mental wellbeing.