China's 17-year-old Zhao Jing set a new Asian record for women's 100-meter backstroke with 59.81 seconds at the swimming Olympic trials on Friday. She became the first Asian swimmer to go under the one minute mark.

"I planned to break the one minute mark, but I didn't expect to break the Asian record."

The previous Asian record for the event was set by former Chinese swimmer He Cihong at 1:00.16 in 1994.

Zhao Jing's record is only 0.6 second behind the latest world record set by U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin at 59.21 seconds last month.

With the record-breaking result, Zhao Jing climbed to the world's sixth in women's 100-meter backstroke and the third in 200-meter backstroke, only after Zimbabwe's Kristy Coventry and France's Laure Manaudou.

The seven-day Olympic trials has ended today with two new Asian records and five new national records in total.