Sarah Sjostrom, Who Wasn’t Even Going To Swim The 100 Free, Wins Olympic Gold In The Race

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At the 2017 World Championships, Sarah Sjostrom broke the world record in the women’s 100 free, clocking a time of 51.71 to become the first female swimmer to break 52 seconds in the event. In the same meet though, she was upset by Simone Manuel in the individual 100 free race. And despite being considered one of the greatest sprinters in history, having won World or Olympic titles in the 100 fly, 50 free, and 50 fly, she had never won a major individual title in the 100 free.

That trend was supposed to continue at the 2024 Olympics. As recently as February of 2024, the 30-year-old Sjostrom confirmed that she wouldn’t be racing the 100 free at the games, opting to focus solely on the 50 free. However, when the entries for the Olympics came out just over two weeks before the games started, it was revealed that she had a change of heart and would enter in the 100 free anyway.

In fact, Sjostrom didn’t even make the final decision on swimming the 100 free until she raced on Sweden’s 4×100 freestyle relay, where she led off in a time of 52.53. She had been encouraged by her coach to do the event, and she also had a gut feeling.

“I’ve been dreaming a few times that I would win,” Sjostrom said after her 100 free race. “It’s almost like I’ve seen it somewhere before, that I’m going to win the 100 freestyle.”

But the biggest shocker wasn’t that Sjostrom chose to race the 100 free, it was that she actually won. She came into the meet as the third overall seed, but she wasn’t favored to medal over the likes of 2022 and 2023 World Champion Mollie O’Callaghan of Australia, or Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey — who posted the fastest time of the Paris Olympic cycle. But in her race she beat them both, flipping in in 4th at the halfway mark but charging home on her finish to win gold. Her time of 52.16 was her third-fastest performance ever and her fastest performance since 2017.

Sjostrom, at age 30, became the oldest woman to ever win Olympic gold in the 100 free. And nonetheless, it was her first ever international title in the event.

“I mean, I came here for the 50 free,” Sjostrom said. “I never thought a 30 year old woman would win [the 100 free].”

“I haven’t really raced the 100 free that much. I did the 100 free for the first time in two years in Rome a few weeks ago. I haven’t been in this event. My reaction said it all. I was like ‘this is unbelievable.”

This win is also a testament to Sjostrom’s longevity and resilience. She’s competing in her fifth Olympic games, and yet she still found a way to top the podium. In addition, her performance is also a redemption of sorts compared to the Tokyo Olympics, where her performance was hindered by an elbow injury she endured five months prior.

With this gold medal, Sjostrom continues to make her case as the greatest female sprinter of all-time. She now only has the 50 free left to swim, where she is the heavy favorite to win.