Sarah Sjostrom continued to rewrite the record book during the first night of the 2016 Austin Pro Series meet, as she earned her second US Open record of the evening in the 100 butterfly.
Approximately 35 minutes after setting the US Open record in the 100 free, Sjostrom stepped up to the blocks to compete in the 100 fly. Just like in the earlier event, Sjostrom didn’t touch first at the 50 mark. This time, it was the then-current US Open record holder, Dana Vollmer, who held the lead halfway through the race. But Sjostrom exploded off the turn, and pushed her lead throughout the remaining length, setting the new record in 56.38.
Vollmer touched second in 57.61. Her previous US Open record was a 56.42, done in the semi-finals of the 2012 US Olympic Trials. That summer, Vollmer went on to break the world record in this event, another mark which Sjostrom had already taken from Vollmer.
Tonight, Sjostrom continued to solidify her position as the favorite in this event going in to this summer’s Rio Olympics. But Vollmer, who took some time off and recently had a child, is certainly not out of the mix yet. The two are no strangers to competing each other, having faced off in the London Olympics and the 2013 World Championships, and their strong swims here are pointing toward a great final in Rio this summer.
