# Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Women's 50 metre backstroke

The women's 50 metre backstroke event at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships took place 24 July. The heats and semifinals took place 23 July, with the final being held on 24 July.

## Records

Prior to the competition, the existing world and championship records were as follows:
| World record | Sandra Völker (GER) | 28.25 | Berlin, Germany | 17 June 2000 |
| Championship record | New event | New event | New event | New event |
The following record was established during the competition:
| Date | Round | Name | Nation | Time | Record |
| 23 July | Heat 4 | Haley Cope | United States | 28.60 | CR |
| 23 July | Semifinal 1 | Natalie Coughlin | United States | 28.49 | CR |

## Results
### Heats

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Haley Cope | United States | 28.60 | Q, CR |
| 2 | Antje Buschschulte | Germany | 28.62 | Q |
| 3 | Sandra Völker | Germany | 28.72 | Q |
| 4 | Natalie Coughlin | United States | 28.77 | Q |
| 5 | Nina Zhivanevskaya | Spain | 28.93 | Q |
| 6 | Mai Nakamura | Japan | 29.00 | Q |
| 7 | Diana Mocanu | Romania | 29.21 | Q |
| 8 | Dyana Calub | Australia | 29.24 | Q |
| 9 | Hinkelien Schreuder | Netherlands | 29.29 | Q |
| 10 | Hanae Ito | Japan | 29.31 | Q |
| 11 | Anu Koivisto | Finland | 29.38 | Q |
| 12 | Aliaksandra Herasimenia | Belarus | 29.44 | Q |
| 13 | Giaan Rooney | Australia | 29.46 | Q |
| 14 | Michelle Lischinsky | Canada | 29.47 | Q |
| 15 | Dominique Diezi | Switzerland | 29.48 | Q |
| 16 | Sarah Price | United Kingdom | 29.49 | Q |
| 17 | Ilona Hlaváčková | Czech Republic | 29.67 | |
| 17 | Shim Min-Ji | South Korea | 29.67 | |
| 19 | Zhan Shu | China | 29.89 | |
| 20 | Louise Ørnstedt | Denmark | 29.92 | |
| 21 | Jennifer Carroll | Canada | 30.02 | |
| 22 | Ekaterina Kibalo | Russia | 30.04 | |
| 23 | Maria Santos | Portugal | 30.29 | |
| 24 | Alenka Kejžar | Slovenia | 30.40 | |
| 25 | Anna Gostomelsky | Israel | 30.56 | |
| 26 | Urska Slapsak | Slovenia | 30.89 | |
| 27 | Alessandra Cappa | Italy | 30.95 | |
| 28 | Yang Chin-Kuei | Chinese Taipei | 31.40 | |
| 29 | Deirdre Hughes | Ireland | 31.41 | |
| 30 | Saida Iskandarova | Uzbekistan | 31.60 | |
| 31 | Kuan Chia-Hsien | Chinese Taipei | 31.89 | |
| 32 | Ayeisha Collymore | Trinidad and Tobago | 31.90 | |
| 33 | Jacqueline Lim | Singapore | 32.39 | |
| 34 | Valeria Silva | Peru | 32.42 | |
| 35 | Khadija Ciss | Senegal | 32.60 | |
| 36 | Denyse Tan | Singapore | 32.70 | |
| 37 | Nicole Hayes | Palau | 32.93 | |
| 38 | Reshma Millet | India | 32.97 | |
| 39 | Perla Martinez | Honduras | 33.02 | |
| 40 | Xenavee Pangelinan | Northern Mariana Islands | 33.20 | |
| 41 | Weng Tong Cheong | Macau | 34.13 | |
| 42 | Monika Bakale | Republic of the Congo | 34.82 | |
| 43 | Miriam Nakolo | Kenya | 38.01 | |
| 44 | Lasm Quissoh Genevieve Meledje | Ivory Coast | 38.23 | |

### Semifinals

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time | Notes |
| 1 | Natalie Coughlin | United States | 28.49 | Q, CR |
| 2 | Sandra Völker | Germany | 28.51 | Q |
| 3 | Antje Buschschulte | Germany | 28.66 | Q |
| 4 | Dyana Calub | Australia | 28.74 | Q |
| 5 | Haley Cope | United States | 28.78 | Q |
| 6 | Nina Zhivanevskaya | Spain | 28.83 | Q |
| 7 | Diana Mocanu | Romania | 29.19 | Q |
| 8 | Hinkelien Schreuder | Netherlands | 29.22 | Q |
| 9 | Hanae Ito | Japan | 29.23 | |
| 10 | Giaan Rooney | Australia | 29.28s | |
| 11 | Mai Nakamura | Japan | 29.30 | |
| 12 | Anu Koivisto | Finland | 29.41 | |
| 13 | Dominique Diezi | Switzerland | 29.48 | |
| 14 | Aliaksandra Herasimenia | Belarus | 29.50 | |
| 15 | Michelle Lischinsky | Canada | 29.52 | |
| 16 | Sarah Price | United Kingdom | 29.57 | |

### Final

| Rank | Name | Nationality | Time |
| | Haley Cope | United States | 28.51 |
| | Antje Buschschulte | Germany | 28.53 |
| | Natalie Coughlin | United States | 28.54 |
| 4 | Sandra Völker | Germany | 28.62 |
| 5 | Diana Mocanu | Romania | 28.86 |
| 6 | Dyana Calub | Australia | 28.89 |
| 7 | Nina Zhivanevskaya | Spain | 28.90 |
| 8 | Hinkelien Schreuder | Netherlands | 28.99 |