The following new world and Olympic records were set during this competition.

Date	Event	Name	Nationality	Time	OR	WR
August 10	Heat 5	Anastasia Zuyeva		59.61	OR
August 10	Heat 6	Reiko Nakamura Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions....		59.36	OR
August 10	Heat 7	Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States...		59.00	OR
August 11	Semifinal 2	Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States...		58.77	OR	WR

During the two preliminary heats, Kirsty Coventry

Kirsty Coventry

Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States...

 broke first the existing Olympic Record, then the existing World Record. Thus, prior to the final heat, both records were different than what they had been before the competition started. In the final heat, Natalie Coughlin

Natalie Coughlin

Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...

 won the event, but failed to recapture her pre-match records from Coventry . However, she did better her pre-match World Record, and thus her personal best, by .01 second.

Heats

Rank	Heat	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	7	5	Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States...		0:59.00	Q, OR
2	6	6	Reiko Nakamura Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions....		0:59.36	Q, OR
3	5	4	Anastasia Zuyeva		0:59.61	Q, OR
4	7	4	Natalie Coughlin Natalie Coughlin Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...		0:59.69	Q
5	6	5	Laure Manaudou Laure Manaudou Laure Manaudou |Rhône]]) is a French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She is the daughter of a French father and a Dutch mother.- 2004 Olympics :...		1:00.09	Q
6	7	6	Gemma Spofforth Gemma Spofforth Gemma Mary Spofforth is an English swimmer who is a world champion and record-holder in the backstroke.Spofforth was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, England. She overcame pancreatitis in 2005, taking a year in and out of the water undecided on future plans to continue swimming. This was a turning point...		1:00.11	Q
7	6	4	Margaret Hoelzer Margaret Hoelzer Margaret Hoelzer is an American swimmer who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.-Biography:...		1:00.13	Q
8	6	3	Ito Hanae		1:00.16	Q
9	5	5	Emily Seebohm Emily Seebohm Emily Jane Seebohm OAM is an Australian backstroke, freestyle, butterfly and individual medley swimmer.-Career:...		1:00.27	Q
10	4	3	Julia Wilkinson Julia Wilkinson Julia Rose Wilkinson is a Canadian backstroke, medley, and freestyle swimmer. She was born in Stratford, Ontario.-2008 Olympics:...		1:00.38	Q
11	5	8	Antje Buschschulte Antje Buschschulte Antje Buschschulte is a German swimmer. Her best disciplines are the short distance freestyle and backstroke races. Buschschulte swims for the sporting club SC Magdeburg. Up to now, she has won 24 German championships....		1:00.48	Q
12	5	2	Elizabeth Simmonds Elizabeth Simmonds Elizabeth Clare Simmonds is a British backstroke swimmer.Simmonds represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke swimming events....		1:00.53	Q
13	5	6	Nina Alexandrovna Zhivanevskaya		1:00.54	Q
14	5	3	Sophie Edington Sophie Edington Sophia Jane Edington is an Australian backstroke and freestyle swimmer.She trained at the Kingscliff ASC club under Greg Salter. After Greg took up an overseas coaching role Sophie moved to Queensland to train under the QAS program from the end of 2008...		1:00.65	Q
15	7	1	Elizabeth Coster		1:00.66	Q
16	6	1	Kseniya Moskvina		1:00.70	Q
17	5	1	Xu Tianlongzi Xu Tianlongzi Xu Tianlongzi is a female Chinese swimmer. A native of Yantai, Shandong, she competed for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Major achievements:*2004 National Championships - 3rd 50 m back;...		1:00.82
18	7	7	Fabíola Molina Fabíola Molina Fabíola Pulga Molina is a butterfly and backstroke swimmer from Brazil, who competed at the 2000 and 2008 Olympics....		1:01.00
19	3	3	Carolina Colorado		1:01.19
20	4	4	Melissa Ingram Melissa Ingram Melissa Ingram is a New Zealand swimming competitor. She won a bronze medal with Lauren Boyle, Helen Norfolk and Alison Fitch in the 4 x 200m freestyle relay at the 2006 Commonwealth Games....		1:01.24
21	5	7	Kateryna Zubkova Kateryna Zubkova Kateryna Mikhailivna Zubkova is a Ukrainian swimmer. She has won national titles for Ukraine eight times, and is a former European breaststroke champion...		1:01.25
22	6	2	Sanja Jovanović Sanja Jovanovic Sanja Jovanović is a female backstroke swimmer from Croatia, who made her Olympic debut for her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. There she competed in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke, where she finished in 17th and 13th position...		1:01.30
23	7	2	Alexianne Castel		1:01.44
24	7	8	Nikolett Szepesi Nikolett Szepesi Nikolett Szepesi is a Hungarian swimmer from Budapest.-References:...		1:01.77
25	3	2	Anna Gostomelsky Anna Gostomelsky Anna Gostomelsky is an Israeli swimmer who represented Israel at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.-Biography:She is Jewish. She holds the most Israeli swimming records of any female swimmer....		1:01.87
26	4	6	Romina Armellini		1:02.21
26	4	8	Anja Čarman Anja Carman Anja Čarman is a Slovenian swimmer. She won several medals at European LC and SC Championships and competed at 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.- References :*...		1:02.21
28	4	5	Mercedes Peris Mercedes Peris Mercedes Peris Minguet is an Olympic and national record holding backstroke swimmer from Spain. She competed for Spain at the 2008 Olympics.- References :* at www.sports-reference.com...		1:02.30
29	3	1	Sarah Sjöström Sarah Sjöström Sarah Fredrika Sjöström is a Swedish swimmer. On 22 March 2008, at the age of 14, she took the gold medal in women's 100 m butterfly at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands. She was clocked for 58.44 seconds...		1:02.38
30	4	2	Hanna-Maria Seppälä		1:02.39
31	4	1	Aisling Margaret Cooney		1:02.50
32	3	7	Alana Dillette Alana Dillette Alana Kathryn Dillette is an Olympic-swimmer from The Bahamas. She swam for the Bahamas at the 2008 Summer Olympics, as well as at the 2007 Pan American Games...		1:02.56
33	1	4	Kiera Aitken Kiera Aitken Kiera Aitken is an Olympic and national-record holding swimmer from Bermuda. She is one of Bermuda's most successful swimmers, and has twice been named Bermuda's Female Athlete of the Year...		1:02.62
34	3	4	Tsai Hiu Wai Sherry		1:02.68
35	3	5	Fernanda González Fernanda González María Fernanda González Ramirez is an Olympic and National record-holding backstroke swimmer from Mexico. She swam for Mexico at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:...		1:02.76
36	2	4	Zuzanna Mazurek		1:02.77
37	6	7	Iryna Amshennikova		1:02.85
38	2	5	Gisela Morales		1:02.92
39	3	6	Petra Klosová		1:03.36
40	2	3	Marica Strazmester		1:03.56
41	3	8	Sarah Blake Bateman		1:03.82
42	6	8	Christin Zenner		1:03.87
43	2	7	Erin Volcán Erin Volcán Erin Nicole Volcán Smith is an international backstroke and individual medley swimmer from Venezuela. She is a former South American record holder, and current Venezuelan record holder. She swam for Venezuela at the 2008 Olympics.She swam collegiately at the USA's Auburn University...		1:03.90
44	2	6	Kim Yuyon		1:04.63
45	2	2	Yekaterina Rudenko		1:04.85
46	1	5	Maria Virginia Baez		1:05.39
47	1	3	Christie Bodden		1:07.18
DNS	4	7	Svetlana Khokhlova		DNS
DSQ	7	3	Zhao Jing Zhao Jing (swimmer) Zhao Jing is a female Chinese swimmer, who competed for Team China at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Records:*2006 Asian Championships - 28.50, 50 m back...		DSQ

Semifinals

Rank	Heat	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	2	4	Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States...		0:58.77	Q, WR
2	1	5	Natalie Coughlin Natalie Coughlin Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...		0:59.43	Q
3	1	4	Reiko Nakamura Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions....		0:59.64	Q
4	2	5	Anastasia Zuyeva		0:59.77	Q
5	1	3	Gemma Spofforth Gemma Spofforth Gemma Mary Spofforth is an English swimmer who is a world champion and record-holder in the backstroke.Spofforth was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, England. She overcame pancreatitis in 2005, taking a year in and out of the water undecided on future plans to continue swimming. This was a turning point...		0:59.79	Q
6	2	6	Margaret Hoelzer Margaret Hoelzer Margaret Hoelzer is an American swimmer who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.-Biography:...		0:59.84	Q
7	1	6	Ito Hanae		1:00.13	Q
8	2	3	Laure Manaudou Laure Manaudou Laure Manaudou |Rhône]]) is a French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She is the daughter of a French father and a Dutch mother.- 2004 Olympics :...		1:00.19	Q
9	2	2	Emily Seebohm Emily Seebohm Emily Jane Seebohm OAM is an Australian backstroke, freestyle, butterfly and individual medley swimmer.-Career:...		1:00.31
10	1	7	Elizabeth Simmonds Elizabeth Simmonds Elizabeth Clare Simmonds is a British backstroke swimmer.Simmonds represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 100 m and 200 m backstroke swimming events....		1:00.39
11	2	1	Nina Alexandrovna Zhivanevskaya		1:00.50
12	1	2	Julia Wilkinson Julia Wilkinson Julia Rose Wilkinson is a Canadian backstroke, medley, and freestyle swimmer. She was born in Stratford, Ontario.-2008 Olympics:...		1:00.60
13	1	1	Sophie Edington Sophie Edington Sophia Jane Edington is an Australian backstroke and freestyle swimmer.She trained at the Kingscliff ASC club under Greg Salter. After Greg took up an overseas coaching role Sophie moved to Queensland to train under the QAS program from the end of 2008...		1:01.05
14	1	8	Kseniya Moskvina		1:01.06
15	2	7	Antje Buschschulte Antje Buschschulte Antje Buschschulte is a German swimmer. Her best disciplines are the short distance freestyle and backstroke races. Buschschulte swims for the sporting club SC Magdeburg. Up to now, she has won 24 German championships....		1:01.15
16	2	8	Elizabeth Coster		1:01.45

Final

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	5	Natalie Coughlin Natalie Coughlin Natalie Anne Coughlin is an American swimmer and eleven-time Olympic medallist.At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Coughlin became the first American female athlete in modern Olympic history to win six medals in one Olympics and the first woman ever to win a 100 m backstroke gold in two consecutive...		0:58.96	AR
	4	Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Coventry Kirsty Leigh Coventry is a Zimbabwean swimmer and world record holder. She attended and swam competitively for Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States...		0:59.19
	7	Margaret Hoelzer Margaret Hoelzer Margaret Hoelzer is an American swimmer who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.-Biography:...		0:59.34
4	2	Gemma Spofforth Gemma Spofforth Gemma Mary Spofforth is an English swimmer who is a world champion and record-holder in the backstroke.Spofforth was born in Shoreham-by-Sea, England. She overcame pancreatitis in 2005, taking a year in and out of the water undecided on future plans to continue swimming. This was a turning point...		0:59.38	ER
5	6	Anastasia Zuyeva		0:59.40
6	3	Reiko Nakamura Reiko Nakamura is a Japanese Olympic and Asian record-holding swimmer. She swam in the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, winning the bronze medals in the 200m backstroke at both editions....		0:59.72
7	8	Laure Manaudou Laure Manaudou Laure Manaudou |Rhône]]) is a French Olympic, world and European champion swimmer. She is the daughter of a French father and a Dutch mother.- 2004 Olympics :...		0:1:00.10
8	1	Ito Hanae		0:1:00.18

ER: European Record.