Sjöström Just Misses Her Own World Record in the 100 Butterfly

2016 STOCKHOLM OPEN

• Wednesday March 30th – Saturday April 2nd
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Prelims – 9:30 am local (3:30 am EST/12:30 am PST)   Finals – 4:30 pm local (Friday – 4 pm) (10:30 am EST/7:30 PST)
• Start list and Results

Swedish star Sarah Sjostrom had impressive performances in both the 50 butterfly and 200 freestyle on the first day of the Stockholm Open, but eclipsed both of those on Thursday evening recording the second fastest 100 butterfly of all time. Sjostrom won the event in a time of 55.68, just missing her own world record of 55.64, which she set at the World Championships last summer.

She took today’s swim out faster than the she did in Kazan, but was not able keep pace with her world mark in the second 50 meters.

• Kazan – 26.17/55.64 (29.47)
• Stockholm – 26.01/55.68 (29.67)

Sjostrom, who has already had a number of outstanding performances this year, beat her season’s best and world leading time of 56.37, which she put up in February. Australian Emma McKeon currently sits second in the world rankings with a 57.24.

Last summer Sjostrom joined American Dana Vollmer as the only the only two women to dip under the 56 second mark. She accomplished that feat first in the prelims in Kazan posting a 55.74 and then again in the final. Today was the third time she broke the 56 second barrier.

The closest that any woman has been to the times that the Swede has put up in the last two seasons is Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark who recorded a 56.51 in 2014.

Svetlana Chimrova of Russia finished second in a time of 57.82 followed by Kristel Vourna of Greece and fellow Russian Natalia Andreeva who both touched in a time of 59.39.

Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa had an outstanding performance in the men’s 100 breaststroke taking the event in a time of 59.61. van der Burgh, who posted the 2015-16 season’s top time of 58.97 in August, put up the second fastest time of 2016 second only to world record holder Adam Peaty who recorded a 59.55 at the Edinburgh International.

Erik Persson of Sweden finished second in a time of 1:01.06 just ahead of German Marco Koch who hit the wall in a time of 1:01.09. 

Michael Jamieson, who finished second in the 200 breaststroke at the London Olympics, continues to struggle finishing third in the B-final recording a time of 1:03.21.

Viktoria Zeynep Gunes of Turkey made an incredible improvement in the 400 IM winning the event in a time of 4:39.53. Gunes broke her own national record of 4:49.15, which she posted earlier this month. Gunes has made some eye popping drops in her best times over the last two years with biggest coming in the the 200 breaststroke (2:19.64) and 200 IM (2:11.03) where she set a new world junior record of at the Junior World Championships last summer.

Stina Gardell of Sweden finished second in a time of 4:44.76 followed by Paula Zukowska of Poland who recorded a 4:46.91.

Another swimmer made an extraordinary improvement in the very next event. Norwegian Henrik Christiansen took the men’s 1500 freestyle in a time of 14:53.77 breaking his own national record of 15:02.37, which he set in Kazan. Christiansen’s time places him third in the world rankings.

Yesterday he put up the world’s top time in the 400 freestyle.

Filip Zaborowski of Poland finished second in a time of 15:25.95 followed by Victor Johansson of Sweden who hit the wall in a time of 15:32.53.

Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania continued to perform well after racing for the first time since September just two weeks ago. Meilutyte won the women’s 50 breaststroke in a time of 30.13, which is over half a second better than her season’s best of 30.69 that she posted at the Edinburgh International.

Sophie Hansson of Sweden finished second in a time of 30.98 setting a new the Swedish Junior record in the event. Her time places her ninth in the world rankings just ahead of fellow Swede Jennie Johansson who is not competing in Stockholm.

Tomasz Polenka of Poland won the men’s 50 backstroke in a time of 25.39 followed closely by Apostolos Christou of Greece who finished in a time of 25.41. Matteo Milli of Italy finished third in a time of 25.61.

Oskar Ericsson finished sixth in a time of 26.16. The Swede’s time is a new junior national record.

Kacper Majohczak of Poland won the men’s 200 freestyle in a time of 1:48.55 followed by Adam Paulsson of Sweden who posted a 1:49.49 and Italian Alex di Giorgio who hit the wall in a time of 1:49.61.

Russian Anastasiia Fesikova took the women’s 100 backstroke in a time of 1:00.24 followed by Simona Baumrtova of the Czech Republic who finished in a time of 1:00.50 and Eygló Ósk Gustafsdóttir of Iceland who touched in a time of 1:00.91.

Italian Piero Codia won the men’s 100 butterfly in a time of 52.22. He was followed by Simon Sjödin of Sweden who finished in a time of 52.53 and Pawel Korzeniowski of Poland who recorded a 52.79.