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

Date	Event	Name	Nationality	Time	OR	WR
August 10	Women's 4×100 m freestyle relay final lead off	Britta Steffen Britta Steffen Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle....		53.38	OR
August 15	Final	Britta Steffen Britta Steffen Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle....		53.12	OR

World record holder and current World Champion, Lisbeth Trickett, was the favourite to win gold on Day 6 of swimming competition. Her main contenders were former world record holder, Britta Steffen

Britta Steffen

Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle....

, Cate Campbell

Cate Campbell

Cate Campbell is an Australian swimmer who won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Her family moved from Malawi to Australia in 2001 and it was shortly after this Campbell took up competitive swimming...

, 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...

 and Marleen Veldhuis

Marleen Veldhuis

Magdalena Johanna Maria Veldhuis is a professional swimmer from the Netherlands. She is world record holder in 4 events . Veldhuis has won 6 world championships gold medals and 20 European championships gold medals...

.

Heats

Rank	Heat	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	6	3	Hanna-Maria Seppälä		53.60	Q
2	6	4	Britta Steffen Britta Steffen Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle....		53.67	Q
3	6	5	Marleen Veldhuis Marleen Veldhuis Magdalena Johanna Maria Veldhuis is a professional swimmer from the Netherlands. She is world record holder in 4 events . Veldhuis has won 6 world championships gold medals and 20 European championships gold medals...		53.76	Q
4	7	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...		53.82	Q
5	5	6	Francesca Halsall Francesca Halsall Francesca Jean Halsall is a British freestyle and butterfly swimmer.Halsall was the youngest member of the Team England swim squad at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne where she won silver medals in the 4×100 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relays.She was a member of the European...		53.93	Q
6	7	4	Lisbeth Trickett		53.99	Q
7	6	6	Pang Jiaying Pang Jiaying Pang Jiaying is a female Chinese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Pang is one of the best Chinese women in middle and long-distance freestyle swimming....		54.01	Q
8	7	7	Zhu Yingwen		54.01	Q
9	4	5	Jeanette Ottesen Jeanette Ottesen Jeanette Ottesen is a Danish swimmer who participated at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in swimming. She currently holds the Danish record in 100 m freestyle...		54.04	Q
10	6	2	Josefin Lillhage Josefin Lillhage Josefin Lillhage is a freestyle swimmer from Sweden, who won the bronze medal in the 200 m freestyle at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal. She represented her country four times at the Olympic Games: in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.-Long course :-Short course :-External links:* * Swim...		54.07	Q
11	7	3	Malia Metella Malia Metella Malia Metella is a French Olympic freestyle swimmer from French Guiana. She swam for France at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning a silver medal in 2004 in the women's 50 free....		54.12	Q
12	5	7	Aleksandra Gerasimenya Aleksandra Gerasimenya Aleksandra Gerasimenya is a swimmer from Belarus.-References:...		54.52	Q
13	5	4	Cate Campbell Cate Campbell Cate Campbell is an Australian swimmer who won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Her family moved from Malawi to Australia in 2001 and it was shortly after this Campbell took up competitive swimming...		54.55	Q
14	5	3	Lacey Nymeyer Lacey Nymeyer Lacey Pearl Nymeyer is an Olympic swimmer from the United States.-Personal:Nymeyer is a Tucson native who graduated in 2004 from Mountain View High School . She is also a graduate of the University of Arizona where she majored in physical education. Away from her own training, Nymeyer leads swim...		54.62	Q
15	7	6	Erica Morningstar Erica Morningstar Erica Rachelle Morningstar is a Canadian swimmer originally from Regina, Saskatchewan who is now based in Calgary, Alberta. She has competed in events all over the world including the 2008 Olympic games held in Beijing, China. She is sponsored by Speedo Canada, and regularly appears in their...		54.66	Q
16	6	7	Petra Dallmann Petra Dallmann Petra Dallmann is a German swimmer. She won a Bronze medal in 2004 Olympics...		54.70	Q
17	7	1	Julia Wilkinson Julia Wilkinson Julia Rose Wilkinson is a Canadian backstroke, medley, and freestyle swimmer. She was born in Stratford, Ontario.-2008 Olympics:...		54.70
18	5	2	Alena Popchanka Alena Popchanka Alena Popchanka is a 4-time Olympic freestyle and butterfly swimmer originally from Belarus. She swam for Belarus at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympics...		54.86
19	7	8	Tatiana Barbosa		55.01
20	6	1	Agata Ewa Korc		55.14	NR
21	6	8	Lize-Mari Retief Lize-Mari Retief Lize-Mari Retief is an Olympic and national-record-holding swimmer from South Africa. She swam for South Africa at the 2008 Olympics....		55.17
22	4	3	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....		55.18
23	5	1	Martina Moravcová Martina Moravcová Martina Moravcová is a medley, butterfly and freestyle swimmer from Slovakia. She made her international swimming debut in 1991 for Czechoslovakia, and has gone on to compete in five consecutive Summer Olympics...		55.20
24	5	5	Inge Dekker Inge Dekker Inge Dekker is a butterfly and freestyle swimmer from Netherlands, who won the bronze medal with the Dutch women's 4×100 m freestyle relay team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She did so alongside Inge de Bruijn, Marleen Veldhuis and Chantal Groot...		55.23
25	4	4	Anastasia Aksenova		55.29
26	3	3	Hannah Wilson Hannah Wilson Hannah Wilson is a Hong Kong amateur swimmer. She is a two-time Olympic swimmer for Hong Kong, having swam at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens and the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in the Water Cube in Beijing. She has won two career Universiade gold medals...		55.32
27	4	8	Darya Stepanyuk Darya Stepanyuk Darya Stepanyuk is a Ukrainian swimmer.After finishing college, Stepanyuk entered KNAPK as part of the cycle sport faculty.Stepanyuk has broken several Ukrainian swimming records, and took part in the 2008 Olympic Games...		55.51
28	3	4	Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace is a national-record holding and Olympic swimmer from the Bahamas. She swam for the Bahamas at the 2008 Olympics. She swims collegiately in the USA for Auburn University...		55.61
29	3	2	Birgit Koschischek		55.62
30	4	8	Arlene Semeco Arlene Semeco Arlene Iradie Semeco Arismendi is a female freestyle swimmer from Venezuela, who represented her native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 2004. She won two gold medals at the 2007 Pan American Games. She attended the University of Alabama.-References:* *...		55.70
31	5	8	Jana Klusackova		55.92
32	3	1	Chang Heejin		55.96
33	4	7	Triin Aljand Triin Aljand Triin Aljand is an Estonian swimmer. She was a member of the Estonian national team that competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics and multiple FINA World Aquatics Championships. She competed again for the team in the 2008 Summer Olympics.She currently attends Texas A&M University, where she swims for...		56.10
34	2	5	Quah Ting Wen Quah Ting Wen Quah Ting Wen is an Olympic and National Record holding swimmer from Singapore. She swam for Singapore at the 2008 Olympics....		56.14
35	3	5	Ragnheidur Ragnarsdottir		56.35
36	3	8	Anna Stylianou		56.38
37	3	7	Eleni Kosti		56.44
38	4	1	Miroslava Najdanovski Miroslava Najdanovski Miroslava Najdanovski is a 2-time Serbian Olympic swimmer.Najdanovski represented Serbia and Montenegro at the 2004 Summer Olympics. At only 16 years of age, she was the youngest member of the Serbo-Montenegrin delegation and also one of the youngest athletes to compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics...		56.50
39	2	6	Natthanan Junkrajang		56.56
40	2	4	Orsolya Tompa		56.57
41	2	7	Christel Simms Christel Simms Christel Simms is a 19-year-old college swimmer from Ewa Beach, Hawaii attending the University of Southern California. She represented the Republic of the Philippines at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing in the sport of swimming for the 100-meters freestyle event.Simms passed the Olympic...		56.67
42	4	6	Maria Laura Simonetto		56.72
43	2	3	Nieh Pin-Chieh		57.28
44	3	6	Nina Sovinek		57.30
45	1	4	Madeleine Scerri		57.97
46	2	2	Irina Shlemova		58.77
47	1	5	Elena Poppovska		59.93
48	1	6	Olga Hachatryan		1:14.77
NC	7	2	Caitlin McClatchey Caitlin McClatchey Caitlin McClatchey is a Scottish swimmer. To date her greatest sporting achievement was winning two gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games....		DNS

Semifinals

Rank	Heat	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
1	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...		0:53.70	Q
2	2	5	Marleen Veldhuis Marleen Veldhuis Magdalena Johanna Maria Veldhuis is a professional swimmer from the Netherlands. She is world record holder in 4 events . Veldhuis has won 6 world championships gold medals and 20 European championships gold medals...		0:53.81	Q
3	1	6	Zhu Yingwen		0:53.84	Q, AS
4	2	4	Hanna-Maria Seppälä		0:53.84	Q
5	2	3	Francesca Halsall Francesca Halsall Francesca Jean Halsall is a British freestyle and butterfly swimmer.Halsall was the youngest member of the Team England swim squad at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne where she won silver medals in the 4×100 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relays.She was a member of the European...		53.94	Q
6	1	4	Britta Steffen Britta Steffen Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle....		53.96	Q
7	2	2	Jeanette Ottesen Jeanette Ottesen Jeanette Ottesen is a Danish swimmer who participated at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in swimming. She currently holds the Danish record in 100 m freestyle...		54.05	Q
8	1	3	Lisbeth Trickett		54.10	Q
9	2	7	Malia Metella Malia Metella Malia Metella is a French Olympic freestyle swimmer from French Guiana. She swam for France at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, winning a silver medal in 2004 in the women's 50 free....		54.20
10	2	1	Cate Campbell Cate Campbell Cate Campbell is an Australian swimmer who won two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Her family moved from Malawi to Australia in 2001 and it was shortly after this Campbell took up competitive swimming...		54.54
11	1	2	Josefin Lillhage Josefin Lillhage Josefin Lillhage is a freestyle swimmer from Sweden, who won the bronze medal in the 200 m freestyle at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal. She represented her country four times at the Olympic Games: in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.-Long course :-Short course :-External links:* * Swim...		54.59
12	1	1	Lacey Nymeyer Lacey Nymeyer Lacey Pearl Nymeyer is an Olympic swimmer from the United States.-Personal:Nymeyer is a Tucson native who graduated in 2004 from Mountain View High School . She is also a graduate of the University of Arizona where she majored in physical education. Away from her own training, Nymeyer leads swim...		54.74
13	1	8	Petra Dallmann Petra Dallmann Petra Dallmann is a German swimmer. She won a Bronze medal in 2004 Olympics...		55.05
14	1	7	Aleksandra Gerasimenya Aleksandra Gerasimenya Aleksandra Gerasimenya is a swimmer from Belarus.-References:...		55.31
15	2	8	Erica Morningstar Erica Morningstar Erica Rachelle Morningstar is a Canadian swimmer originally from Regina, Saskatchewan who is now based in Calgary, Alberta. She has competed in events all over the world including the 2008 Olympic games held in Beijing, China. She is sponsored by Speedo Canada, and regularly appears in their...		55.36
16	2	6	Pang Jiaying Pang Jiaying Pang Jiaying is a female Chinese freestyle swimmer who competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Olympics. Pang is one of the best Chinese women in middle and long-distance freestyle swimming....		DSQ

Note: Libby Trickett advanced to the finals only on the disqualification of Chinese swimmer Pang Jiaying, who had finished first in the semifinals, but was disqualified after a false start.

Final

Rank	Lane	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	7	Britta Steffen Britta Steffen Britta Steffen is a German swimmer who specializes in freestyle, who is the current holder of the world record in women's 50 and 100 metre freestyle....		53.12
	8	Lisbeth Trickett		53.16
	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...		53.39	AM
4	6	Hanna-Maria Seppälä		53.97
5	1	Jeanette Ottesen Jeanette Ottesen Jeanette Ottesen is a Danish swimmer who participated at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics in swimming. She currently holds the Danish record in 100 m freestyle...		54.06
6	3	Zhu Yingwen		54.21
6	5	Marleen Veldhuis Marleen Veldhuis Magdalena Johanna Maria Veldhuis is a professional swimmer from the Netherlands. She is world record holder in 4 events . Veldhuis has won 6 world championships gold medals and 20 European championships gold medals...		54.21
8	2	Francesca Halsall Francesca Halsall Francesca Jean Halsall is a British freestyle and butterfly swimmer.Halsall was the youngest member of the Team England swim squad at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne where she won silver medals in the 4×100 m freestyle and 4×100 m medley relays.She was a member of the European...		54.29