You are working on Staging1

Again! Sjostrom Takes SCM 100 Freestyle World Record Down To 50.58

FINA WORLD CUP – EINDHOVEN

On the final stop of the first FINA World Cup Series cluster #1, Swedish sprinter Sarah Sjostrom cranked out yet another world record to continue her freestyle and butterfly firestorm. Already owning an astonishing 7 world records across both short course and long course formats, Sjostrom lowered her own 100 freestyle mark (SCM) while competing in Eindhoven tonight.

This morning, the 23-year-old turned heads with a scorching prelims time of 51.02 to check-in with the 4th fastest time ever, giving the crowd a sign of what was potentially to come. In tonight’s final, Sjostrom threw down a massive 50.58 to hack almost two tenths off of that already wicked-fast mark. Splits between the two fastest performances of all-time produced by the Swede are below:

24.51/26.26 = 50.77 in Moscow
24.49/26.09 = 50.58 in Eindhoven for new WR

Sjostrom opened just .02 quicker, but closed .17 faster than she did in Moscow to establish the new mark. After the race, Sjostrom said her goal is to become the first woman ever under the 50 second mark in the event. With the way this sprinting virtuoso’s trajectory is headed, that goal certainly seems within the realm of near-future possibility.

Here are Sjostrom’s complete World Records as of today:

50 freestyle LCM – 23.67
100 freestyle LCM – 51.71
50 fly LCM – 24.43
100 fly LCM – 55.48

100 freestyle SCM – 50.58
200 freestyle SCM – 1:50.78
100 butterfly SCM – 54.61

In This Story

43
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

43 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
M W
7 years ago

Am I the only one that sees a pattern between Sarahs world record times and Katinka/Shanes social media updates? After the races where Sarah broke world records (Moscow and Eindhoven) they raise the problems with FINA and the rigged situation on IG.. When Katinka earned more points in Berlin and swam a World Record in 100 IM they where Happy and “going down swinging” if i should quote Shane.
i’m kind of getting sick of that since Sarah is the only one ahead of Katinka in the total World Cup at the women side so according to me it’s really lame and jeaolusy message directed towards not only FINA but also Sarah, a swimmer that actually has taking Katinkas… Read more »

bobo gigi
7 years ago
Mardo4
7 years ago

Continues to deliver. Exciting star for Sweden and swim fans in general.

nlm78
7 years ago

As per usual awesome swims by Sarah. Also interesting to see was how C1 progressed during the swim meets. Definitely got faster with each meet which was pleasing to see.

PVSFree
7 years ago

This may be just me, but with a 23.00 50m free I feel like she could be out faster than a 24.49. I definitely think a 49 might be possible later this quad

Reply to  PVSFree
7 years ago

She probably will be a lot faster than that once she starts another training block and rest period.She is swimming right now with the remains of her Worlds taper.I have no doubt she can get at least a second faster than her LCM 23.6 time and near two of her LC WR 100 free time.It is just a matter of time and preparation.

Tim
Reply to  DDias
7 years ago

Awesome swim. Sjostrom is putting together a string of fantastic performances. It’s uncommon to see swimmers competing so much at such a high level it would probably be more exciting for crowds if it happened more often. For example Peaty just turns up once a year to absolutely smash everyone.

49 looks possible. As above I would expect 49 SCM if 51 LCM but everyone is different in that regard and we should just appreciate a fantastic swim.

MTK
Reply to  PVSFree
7 years ago

Ya, I have to agree with that. If she is equally good at 50 and 100, then I’d have to think that she could swim 24.low-25.high for ~50.00 based on being 23.00 in 50.

MTK
Reply to  MTK
7 years ago

But as others have said, she’s operating based on the same taper that began almost a month ago, so some recovery and a new block of training could be needed first.

bobo gigi
7 years ago

But she didn’t win the event in Rio and Budapest.

DLswim
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

Yes, we know that. Your point?

Swimmer?
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

Still greater than Manuel

Breeze
Reply to  Swimmer?
7 years ago

Not in the 100m free

Ben
Reply to  Breeze
7 years ago

Which of the two of them holds both 100m freestyle world records again?

Breeze
Reply to  Ben
7 years ago

Which one holds the gold medal 100m free in the last two big (Oly/Worlds) meets that mattered and not some local neighborhood meet with no pressure?

Ben
Reply to  Breeze
7 years ago

So breaking the world record by leading off a relay at worlds is no pressure?

Breeze
Reply to  Ben
7 years ago

honestly, no. they were not going to win the relay anyway. no pressure. but there’s pressure when you’re by yourself going headup with the other swimmer.

Ben
Reply to  Breeze
7 years ago

Swimming at worlds, the largest swim meet of the year, in front of thousands of people in the stands alone, not to mention people watching live from home from all over the world, when people are expecting you to break the world record, is a lot of pressure. As soon as she was announced as the lead off swimmer, all the fans who have been paying attention in the lead-up to worlds had their eyes on Sarah Sjostrom. At that point, it doesn’t make much of a difference whether its an individual swim or on a relay team that’s not expected to medal.

Carlo
Reply to  Ben
7 years ago

Yep when Simone Manuel breaks world records then we can start talking.

The truth is than anyone who is not a hard-core swimming fan ( ie thier attention span is really short) wont remember who won the gold medal at the XX olympic games but will know who the world record holder is because anytime swimmers swim, the world record holder,s name and time are always displayed.
So in the year 2088 ( counting from 2016, 2088 is 18 Olympic cycles) when the female distance swimmers are swimming at the olympic games, Katie ledecky,s name and times will be displayed and we,ll all be very old or dead by then but the people watching then will know her name.… Read more »

Breeze
Reply to  Carlo
7 years ago

Michael Phelps is the GOAT because of the because he is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16).
The casual fans are the ones who pass down legendary status to the masses from what they see on the grandest stages.

Tim
Reply to  Swimmer?
7 years ago

No need to make these comments. Different qualities and not clear who is the best 100 Freestyler. Overall Sjostrom has a lot more range. Taken as a whole she also has a much more impressive career on all counts and is building a massive legacy.

At the same time it isn’t fair to assume the WR holder will beat the Olympic and World Champion next time they meet.

Mardo4
Reply to  Tim
7 years ago

As Tom says, “No guarantee the WR holder will beer the Olympic and Works champion next time they meet.” Just ask Lochte

Ben
Reply to  Mardo4
7 years ago

To be fair to Lochte, he does hold the 200m IM world record (set in 2011) and the fastest post 2009 400IM time (in 2012).

iLikePsych
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

Funny to think a year ago she said she didn’t think she could break the WR and that only Cate Campbell could.

samuel huntington
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

what a stupid comment to make on this article, celebrate her achievement.

Erik Andersson
Reply to  bobo gigi
7 years ago

What do you mean?

She is a swimmer that won WC gold in 2009 in a WR time. 8 years later she has won a olympic gold medal and is the world record holder in 50/100 free/fly. And she is just 23!

Swedish swimmer dosenst quit and the same young age as your countrymen. Alshammar won WC gold eleven years after her olympic silvers in Sydney

Tim
Reply to  Erik Andersson
7 years ago

I think American swimmers often have to retire sooner because of the depth of talent coming through. Of course someone as good as Sjostrom would still be able to keep going but we almost saw Matt Grievers forced into retirement last year after getting locked out of the Olympics. Swimming is not lucrative and getting locked out once or twice is the end of your career normally

samuel huntington
Reply to  Tim
7 years ago

The trend these days is actually for American swimmers to not retire, even if someone is beating them – see Lochte, Ervin, Jones, Grevers, Dwyer, etc. Most recent big names who retired did so because they wanted to move on to other things – see Dirado, Jaeger, Beisel, etc.

SwimJon
7 years ago

I think this is what anger management after botching the 100free final in Budapest looks like… lucky us!!

Breeze
Reply to  SwimJon
7 years ago

Botching? Is that the same as choking? It’s either she choked or just got beat by a better swimmer that day. I lean towards the better swimmer that day. But you call it whatever you want to.

MTK
Reply to  Breeze
7 years ago

Simone wasn’t the better swimmer that day though. Sarah beat herself by swimming outside of her planned race tactics; a little slower on the first 50 and she would have been 51.high again and half a bodylength clear for the win.

sven
Reply to  MTK
7 years ago

I’m a bit confused. Manuel swam a better race, therefore Manuel was the better swimmer that day. That’s how it works. I think everyone would agree that on almost any other day, Sjostrom is the better swimmer, it’s just that you don’t get to get second and still be the better swimmer.

Dee
Reply to  sven
7 years ago

Not so sure I’d look at it so plainly – Manuel was smarter on the day is how I’d look at it.

Korn
Reply to  MTK
7 years ago

And she let Simone draft off of her the first 50

SchoolingFTW
Reply to  Breeze
7 years ago

She choked. Manuel is not a better 100 free swimmer than her.

Reply to  SchoolingFTW
7 years ago

Sorry, Sarah didn’t choke.She tried to win in a WR fashion(look at her first 50 opening) and paid the price.

Swimmer?
Reply to  Breeze
7 years ago

Breeze stop your bias. 51.71 is Sjostrom’s time which crushed Manuel’s relay split and she only lost by .04 because she took a breath. After swimming 3 rounds of 100 fly.

breaststroker
7 years ago

Sweden should have a statue made for her

AmJo
Reply to  breaststroker
7 years ago

Well, there is a statue of Zlatan. Based on merit, I’d say Sarah is already bigger than Zlatan. If she is ok with having a statue of herself made then most surely she should have. Where though (if so)? 🙂 Discussions…

David
Reply to  AmJo
7 years ago

Unquestionably she is the biggest sportstar Sweden has right now.

Drama King
Reply to  David
7 years ago

No one can embrace the Zlatan status in Sweeden maaan..
When Zlatan jumps to the water, water becomes Zlatan….. Thats called Zlatan effect ???

whyd3
Reply to  Drama King
7 years ago

have to agree, Zlatan is the god of sweden

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

Read More »