Kathleen Baker has set a world record in winning the 100-metres backstroke at the US national swimming championships.
The 21-year-old Olympian won in 58.00 seconds in Irvine, California on Saturday night, lowering the mark of 58.10 set by Kylie Masse of Canada at the world championships in Budapest last year.
Baker's performance was the more remarkable because she has long had to deal with Crohn's disease, a condition which causes inflammation of the digestive tract that can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss.
First diagnosed at age 13, she revealed that battle during the 2016 Rio Olympics where she earned a silver medal in the 100m backstroke.
Baker's swim on Saturday completed a sweep of the backstroke events, having already won the 200m.
"I'm sort of on cloud nine right now," said Baker, known for keeping her goal times in her mobile phone as a daily reminder.
"Right now it's a 58.10 and I just broke that so I'm going to put 57.99," she said, laughing.
Katie Ledecky dominated the 400 freestyle, leading all the way to win by 3.12 seconds for her third victory of the meet.
She earned her 16th national long-course title, tying Natalie Coughlin for seventh on the career list.
Ledecky was under world-record pace through 250 meter before she dropped off and finished in 3 minutes, 59.09 seconds. It was the 10th-fastest swim ever in the event, with Ledecky owning the other nine best times.
Ledecky also won the 200 and 800 freestyles.
Michael Andrew, who turned pro five years ago at 14, won the 100 breaststroke. He rallied from fourth to first in 59.38 seconds, beating a field that included three Olympians.
The men's 100 back was a duel of current and former Olympic champions. Ryan Murphy, who swept the backstroke events in Rio, edged 2012 Olympic winner Matt Grevers, who at 33 is 10 years older.
Murphy touched in 52.51 and Grevers in 52.55.
Olympic champion Lilly King won the women's 100 breast in 1:05.36. Zane Grothe won the men's 400 free.
