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Sarah Sjostrom Breaks 50 Free World Record (23.61) 17 Minutes After Winning 50 Fly Gold

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Just 17 minutes after winning her fifth-straight World title in the 50 fly, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom took down the 50 free world record in the semi-finals of the event. She swam a time of 23.61, which shaves 0.06 seconds off of her previous world record time of 23.67 from 2017.

Sjostrom now holds four of the top five times in the history of the women’s 50 free.

All-Time Top Performances, Women’s 50-Meter Freestyle:

  1. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden — 23.61 (2023)
  2. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden — 23.67 (2017)
  3. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden — 23.69 (2017)
  4. Brita Steffen, Germany — 23.73 (2009)
  5. Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden — 23.74 (2018)

Sjostrom’s first world record came in 2009, when she took down the 100 fly world record at the age of 15. She is now 29, which means 14 years came between her first and most recent world record.

Headed into finals, Sjostrom will be the top seed by a considerable margin—0.4 seconds ahead of Australia’s Shayna Jack.

In the 50 fly final that came before Sjostrom’s world record, she swam a time of 24.77, which is the sixth-fastest performance in the history of the event. She holds the top 20 fastest performances ever in the 50 fly. Her most recent in the event was her 20th individual World Championships medal, tying her with Michael Phelps as the swimmer with the most individual medals in World Championships history.

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Tossed
1 year ago

Really hope she can win the 50 and 100 free in Paris. She deserves more olympic gold

Sub13
1 year ago

Who will have a bigger winning margin? McEvoy (0.51) or Sjostrom?

ALEXANDER POP-OFF
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

McEvoy obviously. SS is a legend not sure she will be 0.5 ahead of an in form Jack.

Sub13
Reply to  ALEXANDER POP-OFF
1 year ago

She was 0.4 ahead in the semi lol. But yeah you’re right, it seems unlikely for that lead to increase

Zippo
1 year ago

In just seventeen minutes, Sjostrom’s might,
Astonishingly claimed her fifth gold in flight,
Then with blazing speed,
In the 50 free, she’d lead,
A world record set, her dominance in sight.

Alison England
1 year ago

It is amazing to get a PB on the world stage after 6 years. She must be so happy.

Frug
1 year ago

I I can’t find anything definitive, but best i can tell, she also set the records for oldest person to set an individual WR and longest period of time between setting WRs (14 years).

Rswim
1 year ago

Swim of the meet for me, way to go Sarah!

dude
1 year ago

Time to add the 100 free/fly back to the program Sarah

Last edited 1 year ago by dude
Alison England
Reply to  dude
1 year ago

She is clearly happy with her decision. And at 30 (next month) it is probably a sensible thing to do to prolong her career.

Frug
Reply to  dude
1 year ago

With no 50 fly at the Olympics, I bet she puts the 100 free back on her program next year. She looked solid swimming the free relay on day 1.

Steve Nolan
Reply to  dude
1 year ago

Eh, maybe one or the other.

100 fly was sorta “sort” here in comparison to free.

Alison England
1 year ago

I really want Sarah to win the 50 free in Paris.

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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, …

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