Matt Bomer acts.
The women 's 100 metre backstroke event at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 10 -- 12 August at the Beijing National Aquatics Center in Beijing , China .. Beijing National Aquatics Center. Beijing National Aquatics Center. U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin set a lifetime best and an American record of 58.96 to defend her title in the event .. Natalie Coughlin. Natalie Coughlin. Zimbabwe 's new world record holder Kirsty Coventry added a second silver to her hardware from the 400 m individual medley two days earlier , in a time of 59.19 .. Kirsty Coventry. Kirsty Coventry. 400 m individual medley. Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's 400 metre individual medley. Coming from fifth place in the turn , Margaret Hoelzer continued her impressive form in the shorter backstroke to pick up a bronze in 59.34 , handing the entire medal haul for Team USA in the pool .. Margaret Hoelzer. Margaret Hoelzer. Great Britain 's Gemma Spofforth narrowly missed the podium by four-hundredths of a second -LRB- 0.04 -RRB- , posting a European record of 59.38 for a fourth-place finish .. Gemma Spofforth. Gemma Spofforth. Russia 's Anastasia Zuyeva finished fifth in a close race at 59.40 , and was followed in the sixth spot by Japan 's Reiko Nakamura in 59.72 .. Anastasia Zuyeva. Anastasia Valeryevna Zuyeva. Reiko Nakamura. Reiko Nakamura. France 's Laure Manaudou -LRB- 1 :00.10 -RRB- , bronze medalist in Athens four years earlier , and Japanese Hanae Ito -LRB- 1 :00.18 -RRB- rounded out the finale .. Laure Manaudou. Laure Manaudou. Hanae Ito. Hanae Ito. Earlier in the prelims , Zuyeva , Nakamura , and Coventry scratched out Coughlin 's existing Olympic record , as they went under a time of 59.68 to lead all seeded heats .. The following morning , in the semifinals , Coventry blitzed the field on the final lap to set a new world record of 58.77 , breaking Coughlin 's mark by two-tenths of a second -LRB- 0.20 -RRB- .