Sophie Edington
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Sophie Edington unfortunately missed out on a place in the 100m women’s backstroke final after finishing 7th in her semi final at the Beijing Olympic Games. Despite this, Sophie still had a great race.
Sophie Edington is an Australian backstroke swimmer who trains at the Kingscliff ASC club under Greg Salter. She is the current world record holder for the 50m backstroke, set at the 2008 Australian Olympic Trials, beating the day old record of 27.95 seconds to lower it to 27.67seconds. Sophie also managed to qualify for the 100m backstroke, finishing second behind Emily Seebohm in 59.84 seconds. This was the first time three women from the same country had broken the minute barrier, and the first time a race in history had three women dipping under that mark (as it also included Belinda Hocking who did not qualify).
Sophie had a disappointing trials campaign for the Melbourne 2007 World Aquatic Championships. She finished 15th in the 100m freestyle and 3rd in the 100m backstroke (in which she was the reigning Australian record holder) to Emily Seebohm and Tayliah Zimmer who dead heated for 1st. While she came 2nd in the 50m backstroke to Zimmer, she was not selected to be part of the team, with Seebohm replacing her in that event.
Sophie won three gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in the 50m and 100m backstroke, and the 4 × 100m medley relay in world record time of 3:56.30 seconds with teammates Leisel Jones, Libby Lenton and Jessicah Schipper.
At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montréal Sophie also won two gold medals, with the backstroke leg in 4x100m medley relay and as a heat swimmer in the 4x100m freestyle.