Marrit Steenbergen Wins 100 Free, Re-Sets Own Dutch Mark at 52.26, #3 Euro All-Time

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Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands is now a World champion in the women’s 100 free, breaking her hours-old Dutch record from semi-finals. Steenbergen was out fourth at the half-way mark, flipping at 25.30, a half second behind early leader Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong. Steenbergen then flexed her elite closing speed, massively out-splitting Haughey 26.96 to 27.69, to nab her first LCM World title in a new national record of 52.26. Haughey settled for silver at 52.56.

Since setting foot in Doha, Steenbergen has dropped a total of 0.45s off her personal best, including 0.27s to re-set her own Dutch national mark. Coming into these 2024 Worlds, Steenbergen was seeded at 52.71, which earned her 2023 bronze in Fukuoka. After skating through to prelims with 53.66, Steenbergen fired off 52.53 to take down Femke Heemskerk‘s 2015 Dutch record of 52.69. She put on an encore finishing performance again to score gold for the Netherlands to cap off her journey to 52.26.

Steenbergen now moves up two places on the all-time world performers list to No. 8, jumping Aussies Bronte Campbell (52.27) and 2024 bronze medalist Shayna Jack (52.28) by one one-hundredth each.

Steenbergen is now the No. 3 European performer all-time, now just a striking distance of 0.19s from No. 2 performer German Britta Steffen‘s 2009 super-suited mark of 52.07. Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom is the only European woman to break 52 seconds with her continental record of 51.71.

Top 10 Women’s LCM 100 Freestylers of All Time

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 51.71, 2017
2. Emma Mckeon (AUS) – 51.96, 2021
3. Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 52.02, 2023
4. Cate Campbell (AUS) – 52.03, 2018
5. Simone Manuel (USA) – 52.04, 2019
6. Britta Steffen (GER) – 52.07, 2009
7. Mollie O’Callaghan (AUS) – 52.08, 2023
8. Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 52.26, 2024
9. Bronte Campbell (AUS) – 52.27, 2018
10. Shayna Jack (AUS) – 52.28, 2023

Steenbergen now adds this individual gold to her 4×100 free relay gold, totaling two gold medals.

Originally reported by James Sutherland.

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record: Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden – 51.71 (2017)
• World Junior Record: Penny Oleksiak, Canada – 52.70 (2016)
• Championship Record: Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden – 51.71 (2017)
• 2023 World Champion: Mollie O’Callaghan, Australia – 52.16
• Olympic ‘A’ Qualifying Time: 53.61, Olympic ‘B’ Qualifying Time: 53.88

1. Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 52.26
2. Siobhan Haughey (HKG), 52.56
3. Shayna Jack (AUS), 52.83
4. Kate Douglass (USA), 53.02
5. Anna Hopkin (GBR), 53.09
6. Stephanie Balduccini (BRA), 54.05
7. Kornelia Fiedkiewicz (POL), 54.06
8. Barbora Seemanova (CZE), 54.64

Marrit Steenbergen leaned on her incredible back-half speed to close like an absolute rocket in the final of the women’s 100 freestyle, running down Siobhan Haughey to claim gold and reset her newly minted Dutch Record.

Steenbergen split 25.30/26.96 en route to a time of 52.26, breaking the National Record of 52.53 she set in the semis while moving up two spots into #8 all-time in the event.

Coming into the meet, Steenbergen’s best time stood at 52.71.

Haughey, who won the 200 free title a few nights ago, was the early leader, turning in 24.87 to lead the field at the 50 but was out-split by Steenbergen by more than seven-tenths coming home, settling for silver in 52.56. Haughey admitted post-race she “died a little bit” in the closing meters.

Aussie Shayna Jack was solid for the bronze in 52.83, while American Kate Douglass snared 4th in 53.02 in her first of two finals on the night.

Great Britain’s Anna Hopkin was in 2nd at the 50 (25.22) but fell to 5th in 53.09.