Minna Atherton

Minna Atherton (born 17 May 2000) is an Australian competitive swimmer who won the gold medals in the 100- and 200-metre backstroke events at the 2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Singapore. She tied the junior world record (held by American Claire Adams) in the 100-metre backstroke^[4][5] and broke the Championships record in the 200-metre backstroke.^[6]

Minna Atherton

Minna Atherton Bond University Gold Coast Australia pic: Cavan Flynn
Personal information
National team	Australia
Born	(2000-05-17) 17 May 2000 (age 24)[1][2] Auchenflower, Queensland
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Backstroke
Club	Bond
Coach	Chris Mooney[3]
Medal record Women's swimming Representing Australia World Championships (LC) 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m mixed medley 2019 Gwangju 100 m backstroke 2019 Gwangju 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) 2018 Hangzhou 100 m backstroke 2018 Hangzhou 4×50 m freestyle 2018 Hangzhou 4×200 m freestyle World Junior Championships 2015 Singapore 100 m backstroke 2015 Singapore 200 m backstroke 2015 Singapore 4×100 m freestyle 2015 Singapore 50 m backstroke 2015 Singapore 4×100 m medley 2015 Singapore 4×100 m mixed medley Junior Pan Pacific Championships 2016 Maui 100 m backstroke 2016 Maui 200 m backstroke 2016 Maui 4×100 m freestyle 2016 Maui 4×100 m medley

In December 2015 at the Queensland State Swimming Championships in Brisbane, she broke the junior world record in the 100-metre backstroke with a time of 59.37.^[7] Two months later, in February 2016, she twice broke the junior world record in the 50-metre backstroke at the Brisbane Sprint Championships. In the heats she swam 27.73, followed by 27.49 in the final.^[8]

In April 2016, Atherton did not qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Her best result at the Australian trials was a third-place finish in the 100-meter backstroke behind Emily Seebohm, who trains at the same club as Atherton, and Madison Wilson.^[9] Seebohm and Wilson were the gold and silver medalists in this event at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.

In 2018 she took part in the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games and took part in the 50M Backstroke event, but did not reach the final.

International Swimming League

Atherton is a member of the London Roar team, competing in the International Swimming League (ISL). The ISL is an annual professional swimming league featuring a team-based competition format with fast paced race sessions. 12 teams featuring the world’s best swimmers competed for the ISL title in 2021. During the 2019 International Swimming League season Atherton was the leading female backstroker in the league, winning ten of the twelve backstroke events she contested for the London Roar. Atherton was also the first person to break a world record while swimming an ISL race when she clocked 54.89 to win a 100 metre backstroke race at Budapest in October 2019.^[10]

World records

Short course metres

No.	Event	Time	Meet	Location	Date	Status	Ref
1	100 m backstroke	54.89	2019 International Swimming League	Budapest, Hungary	27 October 2019	Current	[11]

References

1. "Women's 200m Backstroke Final Start List". Omega Timing. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
2. Lord, Craig (7 February 2016). "Minna Atherton Sharpens The Blade In Aussie Back Battle : 27.73, Then 27.49 WJRs". Swimvortex. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
3. "Minna Atherton isn't superstitious, just don't touch her lucky reptile".
4. Chua Siang Yee (27 August 2015). "Swimming: Minna steals the show". The Straits Times. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
5. "Minna Atherton Ties World Junior Record in 100 Back Finals at 2015 FINA World Junior Championships". Swimming World Magazine. 26 August 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
6. "Minna Atherton Pops Meet Record in 200 Back at 2015 FINA World Junior Championships". Swimming World Magazine. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
7. Lord, Craig (16 December 2015). "Minna Atherton Advances Again: Into World Top 10 With 59.37 Aussie Age Mark". Swimvortex. Archived from the original on 9 June 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
8. Keith, Braden (7 February 2016). "Minna Atherton Breaks Junior World Record at Local Brisbane Meet". Swimswam. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
9. Colman, Mike (9 April 2016). "Schoolgirl gives Rio-bound backstrokers Emily Seebohm, Madison Wilson almighty scare". The Courier-Mail. Brisbane. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
10. "Minna Atherton swims 54.89 scm 100 backstroke". SwimSwam. 27 October 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
11. "Minna Atherton's milestone world record in league waters will stand". Swimming World. 28 October 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2021.

External links

• Minna Atherton at World Aquatics
• Minna Atherton at the International Swimming League
• Minna Atherton at Swimrankings.net
• Minna Atherton at Swimming Australia (archived)
• Minna Atherton at Commonwealth Games Australia
• Minna Atherton at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (archived)

Records
Preceded by Katinka Hosszú	Women's 100 backstroke world record holder (short course) 27 October 2019 – present	Succeeded by Incumbent