Can Anybody Observe Down Sarah Sjostrom’s World Report in Ladies’s 100 Free?
When Sarah Sjostrom turned the primary girl ever below 52 seconds within the 100 freestyle, her world report appeared unlikely to final eight days, not to mention eight years. On day one of many 2017 World Championships in Budapest, Sjostrom led off the Swedish girls’s 400 freestyle relay in 51.71, crushing the earlier world customary set by Cate Campbell a 12 months earlier. However Sjostrom would have an opportunity to decrease the mark within the particular person occasion to come back, and Campbell can be returning to main competitors the next 12 months.
Nevertheless, numerous world contests have handed with nobody coming near that customary, together with Sjostrom. Within the final eight years, the occasion has grow to be probably the most unpredictable in worldwide swimming. That week in Hungary, Sjostrom missed the highest spot within the 100 free as Simone Manuel pulled off an upset for the second of three consecutive main meets. Two Australians, neither of them Campbell, received main titles within the occasion, earlier than Sjostrom lastly received Olympic gold in Paris.
Following that win, Sjostrom quickly stepped away from the game as she ready to offer start to her first little one. She has since returned to the pool, however it could be no shock if her days racing the 100 free are behind her. Sjostrom deliberate to eschew the occasion final 12 months earlier than including it again to their program last-minute when she discovered there can be two full days after the 100 earlier than the primary spherical of fifty free racing. However with the 50 butterfly now on the Olympic schedule, anticipate Sjostrom to deal with one-lap races at an Olympics when she might be 34 years previous.
The one different swimmer to crack 52 is Australia’s Emma McKeon, who went 51.96 in her dominant win on the Tokyo Olympics. That may be the one main meet during which McKeon topped the rostrum in any particular person occasion, though she remained a dependable relay performer till her retirement final 12 months.
After McKeon got here Mollie O’Callaghan, who jumped from prelims relay swimmer on the Tokyo Video games to world champion the following two years. O’Callaghan constructed a fame as an exceptional finisher, ceaselessly coming from behind to edge speedsters for gold medals. Sjostrom discovered the arduous means on the 2022 Worlds, additionally in Budapest, as she completed hundredths behind the younger Aussie with a silver medal. O’Callaghan defended her gold medal in 2023 whereas swimming as quick as 52.08, however she was unable to duplicate that type in Paris as she fell simply wanting the Olympic podium. O’Callaghan did win Olympic gold within the 200 free and two relays at these Video games.
The all-time listing options three swimmers who’ve been even nearer to 52 seconds, two of them lively: two-time Olympic medalist Siobhan Haughey at 52.02, Campbell at 52.03 and Manuel at 52.04. Haughey and Manuel are each within the latter levels of their careers, so getting again to these occasions seems unlikely. As an alternative, the extra probably candidates to problem 52 are the three girls who reached the rostrum at this 12 months’s World Championships in Singapore.
Marrit Steenbergen (middle) beat out Mollie O’Callaghan (left) and Torri Huske (proper) for the 100 free world title in 2025 — Picture Courtesy: Emily Cameron
Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands was the gold medalist, out-pacing O’Callaghan on the again finish to attain the highest spot by 0.12. Steenbergen had additionally received the occasion on the lightly-attended Doha World Championships in February 2024. The Australian received silver whereas American Torri Huske received bronze, holding off Steenbergen’s Dutch teammate Milou van Wijk. Nevertheless, the 12 months completed with Huske atop the worldwide standings with a time of 52.42 posted at U.S. Nationals in June. A battle with gastrointestinal sickness zapped Huske’s energy on the World Championships, stopping her from chasing the time of 52.29 she swam to win Olympic silver behind Sjostrom one 12 months earlier.
9 whole swimmers broke 53 this 12 months; after Huske, Steenbergen and O’Callaghan had been People Gretchen Walsh, Rylee Erisman and Manuel plus Haughey, Van Wijk and Russia’s Daria Klepikova. Walsh is a brief course celebrity nonetheless determining the lengthy course model of the 100 free whereas Erisman is a young person who burst into the highlight with an sudden 52.79 gold-medal swim on the World Junior Championships. Kate Douglass, a fifth American, turned the primary girl ever below 50 seconds within the brief course meters 100 free in October.
In the meantime, Australia has misplaced a big contingent of 100 freestylers to retirement in recent times between McKeon, Campbell and Campbell’s youthful sister Bronte, however Meg Harris remains to be on the scene after years as a stalwart of the Aussie 400 free relay squad. Harris cut up as quick as 51.87 in relay responsibility at Worlds earlier than successful the world title within the 50 free.
Coming into 2026, loads of swimmers have 52-mid capabilities, however anybody who can break into the 51s would immediately stamp themselves because the gold-medal favourite for the 2027 World Championships and the Los Angeles Olympics. A real problem to a long-untouched world report would shake the panorama in certainly one of swimming’s signature occasions.
