South Africa's Pieter Coetze Sets 50m Backstroke Short-Course World Record in Tashkent

South African swimmer Pieter Coetze has set a new world record in the men's 50m backstroke (short course), touching in 22.09 seconds at a World Aquatics World Cup meet.

Swimming records are kept separately for:

Short-course times are usually faster because swimmers get more push-offs from the wall and more time underwater, which is especially important in backstroke.

Coetze is one of South Africa's leading backstrokers. He has competed at the Olympics and at world and Commonwealth championships, and has been part of a new generation of South African swimmers following stars such as Chad le Clos and Tatjana Smith (Schoenmaker).

The World Cup is an annual series of short-course meets held in different cities, usually in the autumn. Swimmers earn prize money and series points. The fast 25m pools and frequent racing often produce world records.

A world record in the 50m backstroke, one of the sport's fastest events, puts Coetze among the top sprint backstrokers heading into the next Olympic cycle toward Los Angeles 2028.

The World Cup series continues with further meets, and swimmers will look ahead to the World Aquatics Short Course Championships and national trials.

World records are subject to ratification by World Aquatics.