Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Women's 100 metre backstroke

The US' defending Olympic bronze medallist and 2022 World Champion Regan Smith broke the world record at the 2024 US Olympic Trials with a time of 57.13. Defending Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown from Australia held the previous world record, and won the event at the 2023 World Championships. She swam 57.41 at the Australian Olympic Trials. Canada's Kylie Massewon the silver medal at the previous Olympics in the event, and she finished second at the 2023 Championships. Other contenders included the US' Katharine Berkoff, who swam 57.83 at the US Trials, and Australia's Iona Anderson, who swam 58.43 at the Australian Trials.{{Cite web |last=Wild |first=Mark |date=2024-07-07 |title=2024 Olympics Previews: Smith vs. McKeown - Fast, Dangerous and Unpredictable 100 Back Awaits |url=https://swimswam.com/2024-olympics-previews-smith-vs-mckeown-fast-dangerous-and-unpredictable-100-back-awaits/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114133831/https://swimswam.com/2024-olympics-previews-smith-vs-mckeown-fast-dangerous-and-unpredictable-100-back-awaits/ |archive-date=14 January 2025 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}} Both SwimSwam and Swimming World predicted that Smith would win, McKeown would come second and Berkoff would come third.{{Cite web |last=Rieder |first=David |date=2024-07-23 |title=Olympic Swimming Predictions, Day 4: Regan Smith, Kaylee McKeown Face Off in 100 Backstroke |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/olympic-swimming-predictions-day-4-regan-smith-kaylee-mckeown-face-off-in-100-backstroke/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724145228/https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/olympic-swimming-predictions-day-4-regan-smith-kaylee-mckeown-face-off-in-100-backstroke/ |archive-date=2024-07-24 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Swimming World |language=en-US}}

{{Further information|Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Qualification}}Each National Olympic Committee (NOC) was permitted to enter a maximum of two qualified athletes in each individual event, but only if both of them had attained the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT).{{cite web |date=5 April 2022 |title=Paris 2024 – Swimming Info |url=https://www.fina.org/news/2563896/paris-2024-swimming-info |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230208222726/https://www.fina.org/news/2563896/paris-2024-swimming-info |archive-date=2023-02-08 |access-date=12 November 2022 |publisher=World Aquatics}} For this event, the OQT was 59.99 seconds. World Aquatics then filled the rest of the event places with athletes qualifying through universality; NOCs were given one event entry for each gender, which could be used by any athlete regardless of qualification time, providing the spaces had not already been taken by athletes from that nation who had achieved the OQT.{{Cite |title=Entries list - Swimming |url=https://resources.fina.org/fina/document/2024/07/12/64c5ea6d-ef1b-49fc-a9cf-445966773ae7/OG00459_Swimming_entries_10.07.24.xlsx |access-date=2024-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712132646/https://resources.fina.org/fina/document/2024/07/12/64c5ea6d-ef1b-49fc-a9cf-445966773ae7/OG00459_Swimming_entries_10.07.24.xlsx |archive-date=2024-07-12 |url-status=live |publisher=World Aquatics}} In total, 20 athletes qualified through achieving the OQT, while 16 athletes qualified through universality places.

Five heats (preliminary rounds) took place on 29 July 2024, starting at 11:13.{{Efn|All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)}} The swimmers with the best 16 times in the heats advanced to the semifinals.{{Cite web |date=2024-07-24 |title=Olympic swimming rules: How can swimmers qualify for finals and win medals - format explained |url=https://www.olympics.com/en/news/olympics-swimming-rules |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240821105532/https://olympics.com/en/news/olympics-swimming-rules |archive-date=2024-08-21 |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=olympics.com |publisher=International Olympic Committee (IOC)}} Berkoff qualified with the fastest time of 57.99, Smith qualified in second and McKeown in third.{{Cite web |last=Wild |first=Mark |date=2024-07-29 |title=2024 Paris Olympics: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap |url=https://swimswam.com/2024-paris-olympics-day-3-prelims-live-recap/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227140509/https://swimswam.com/2024-paris-olympics-day-3-prelims-live-recap/ |archive-date=2024-12-27 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}} Carmen Weiler broke Spain's national record by 0.19 seconds, setting it at 59.57 to qualify.{{Cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Sophie |date=2024-07-30 |title=2024 Paris, Euro Recap: European Men Have Won Every Individual Event Through Three Days |url=https://swimswam.com/2024-paris-euro-recap-european-men-have-won-every-individual-event-through-three-days/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225203903/https://swimswam.com/2024-paris-euro-recap-european-men-have-won-every-individual-event-through-three-days/ |archive-date=25 December 2024 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}

Two semifinals took place on 29 July, starting at 21:01. The swimmers with the best eight times in the semifinals advanced to the final. Smith won the first semifinal with a time of 57.97 seconds, while McKeown won the second in 57.99.{{Cite web |last=Penland |first=Spencer |date=2024-07-29 |title=2024 Paris Olympics: Day 3 Finals Live Recap |url=https://swimswam.com/2024-paris-olympics-day-3-finals-live-recap/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115083444/https://swimswam.com/2024-paris-olympics-day-3-finals-live-recap/ |archive-date=15 January 2025 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}

{{external media|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlegXqiq85Q Women's 100 metre backstroke final]|width=300px|float=right}}The final took place at 21:00 on 30 July. Smith and Masse led at the 50 metre mark, both pushing off the halfway wall with a split time of 28.02. Berkoff split third with 28.05 and McKeown fourth with 28.08.{{Cite web |last=Bush |first=Bradley |date=2024-08-23 |title=2024 Olympics Race Data Breakdown: Women’s 100 Back |url=https://swimswam.com/2024-olympics-race-data-breakdown-womens-100-back/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241001145922/https://swimswam.com/2024-olympics-race-data-breakdown-womens-100-back/ |archive-date=1 October 2024 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}} Over the last 50 metres, McKeown elevated herself to first to win the gold medal with a time of 57.33 seconds.{{Cite web |last=Hanson |first=Ian |date=2024-07-31 |title=Kaylee McKeown Breaks Own Olympic Record With 57.33 100 Backstroke To Defend Title |url=https://swimswam.com/kaylee-mckeown-breaks-own-olympic-record-with-57-33-100-backstroke-to-defend-title/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225125748/https://swimswam.com/kaylee-mckeown-breaks-own-olympic-record-with-57-33-100-backstroke-to-defend-title/ |archive-date=2024-12-25 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Swimming World |language=en-US}} Smith won the silver with 57.66, Berkoff won bronze with 57.98 and Masse finished fourth.

Smith spent the longest underwater and had the fastest average underwater pace,{{Efn|Swimmers typically spend around 15 metres off the start and turn underwater doing the dolphin kick.}} while McKeown had the fastest pace during the non-underwater sections. McKeown did 70 strokes throughout the race,{{Efn|Each half circumduction of the arm in backstroke counts as one stroke.}} which was the least of the top 4 swimmers; Masse did 75, Smith did 76 and Berkoff did 77.

McKeown's winning time of 57.33 broke her own Olympic Record from Tokyo, matched her former world record in the event and won her her fourth gold medal.{{Cite web |last=Pelshaw |first=Anya |date=2024-07-30 |title=Kaylee McKeown Breaks Own Olympic Record With 57.33 100 Backstroke To Defend Title |url=https://swimswam.com/kaylee-mckeown-breaks-own-olympic-record-with-57-33-100-backstroke-to-defend-title/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225125748/https://swimswam.com/kaylee-mckeown-breaks-own-olympic-record-with-57-33-100-backstroke-to-defend-title/ |archive-date=2024-12-25 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Ransom |first=Ian |date=2024-07-30 |title=Swimming-Australia's backstroke queen McKeown extends 100m reign |url=https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/swimming-australias-mckeown-wins-womens-100m-backstroke-gold-2024-07-30/ |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=Reuters}} She later went on to win the 200 metre backstroke as well, which made her the first swimmer to win both the 100 metre and 200 metre backstroke events at consecutive Olympics.{{Cite news |last=Pender |first=Kieran |date=2024-08-02 |title=Kaylee McKeown makes history on golden night for Australia at Paris Olympics |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/03/paris-olympics-swimming-kaylee-mckeown-cam-mcevoy-gold-medals-australia |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240914053601/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/aug/03/paris-olympics-swimming-kaylee-mckeown-cam-mcevoy-gold-medals-australia |archive-date=2024-09-14 |access-date=2025-02-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Sophie |date=2024-08-02 |title=Paris 2024 Oceania Recap: McKeown The First Female Backstroker To Defend 100/200 Olympic Gold |url=https://swimswam.com/paris-2024-oceania-recap-mckeown-is-the-first-backstroker-to-win-100-200-at-consecutive-games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909120242/https://swimswam.com/paris-2024-oceania-recap-mckeown-is-the-first-backstroker-to-win-100-200-at-consecutive-games/ |archive-date=9 September 2024 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}} Later at the Paris Games, Smith broke McKeown's Olympic record with a time of 57.28, which she swam in the opening leg of the women's 4 × 100 metre medley relay.{{Cite web |last=Pelshaw |first=Anya |date=2024-08-04 |title=Regan Smith Breaks McKeown's Olympic Record With 57.28 100 Backstroke Lead-Off |url=https://swimswam.com/regan-smith-breaks-mckeowns-olympic-record-with-57-28-100-backstroke-lead-off/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912115518/https://swimswam.com/regan-smith-breaks-mckeowns-olympic-record-with-57-28-100-backstroke-lead-off/ |archive-date=12 September 2024 |access-date=2025-02-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}} Berkoff's bronze was the US' 3000th Olympic medal, and their 600th swimming medal.{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Yanyan |date=2024-07-30 |title=Paris 2024, North America Day 4: Three Finals And Three Silver Medals For Team USA |url=https://swimswam.com/paris-2024-north-american-day-4-three-finals-and-three-silver-medals-for-team-usa/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240811214626/https://swimswam.com/paris-2024-north-american-day-4-three-finals-and-three-silver-medals-for-team-usa/ |archive-date=2024-08-11 |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}}

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{{Reflist}}{{Footer Olympic Champions 100 m Backstroke Women}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swimming at the 2024 Summer Olympics - Women's 100 metre backstroke}}

Women's 00100 metre backstroke

Olympics

Category:Women's events at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Category:2024 in women's swimming