Sjostrom Swims 1:54.34 in 200 Free Becoming New World Leader on Day 1

2016 Swedish National Championships

• July 6 – July 10, 2016
• Norrköping, Sweden
• Competition Website
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Results
• Link to Competition Facebook Page

Day one of the Swedish National Swimming Championships just wrapped up, and mid-distance star Sarah Sjostrom leads the Swedish team in its last big event before Rio.

In the finals of the women’s 200 freestyle, Sjostrom crushed the competition by almost a full two seconds to clench the victory in a time of 1:54.34.  Only three-one-hundredths of a second off her personal best established last summer at the World Championships in Kazan, Russia, Sjostrom’s time today is the fastest in the world this year.  Previous to today, Sjostrom was ranked 4th in the world this year with a 1:54.87 swum in March.  Katie Ledecky now sits in second with her 1:54.43 from the Arena Pro Swim Series in Austin that happened in January.  It was at this same competition in January when Ledecky posted her latest world record in the 800 freestyle.

Placing second to Sjostrom in the 200 free was Michelle Coleman with a 1:56.12, which would have been good enough for second-place at US Olympic Trials.  Coleman, already a member of the Swedish Olympic team, was well under the FINA ‘A’ standard with her time today, but her season-best is a 1:55.88, which ranks her 9th-fastest in the world this year.  Ida Marko-Varga and Louise Hansson, both of whom will also be swimming in Rio next month, placed third and fourth in times of 1:59.19 and 1:59.60, respectively.  Rounding out the top five was Stina Gardell with a 2:01.73.  Gardell was also recently named to the Swedish Olympic team.

The men’s 200 butterfly final was won by Simon Sjodin by over two seconds.  Sjodin’s time of 1:57.99 breaks his own meet record.  Sjodin was named to the Swedish Olympic team earlier this year.  Winning the men’s 200 breaststroke was Erik Persson, the only other male swimmer on Sweden’s Olympic team.  Persson’s 2:10.80 is a new meet record and was over 4 seconds faster than second place.

The men’s 100 freestyle was won by Christoffer Carlsen in a time of 49.50.  Carlsen was the only swimmer in the field to break the 50-seconds barrier, and the only swimmer out in under 24-seconds (23.91) in the first 50 meters.

Ida Lindborg picked up first place in the women’s 50 backstroke with a time of 28.73.  Lindborg, along with Stina Gardell, was also recently added to Sweden’s Olympic roster.  Gardell is also the fastest Swedish woman so far this year in the 200 IM, which she will swim in Rio next month.

Winning the women’s 200 breaststroke was Jenny Johansson in a 2:26.16, which breaks Jolene Hostman‘s previous meet record, established in 2012, by four-tenths of a second.  Finishing in second was Jessica Eriksson and in third Sophie Hansson.  Both Hanssons have already been named to Sweden’s Olympic team.

The final individual event of the day was the men’s 1500 meter freestyle, which was won by Adam Paulsson in a time of 15:48.99.  The final race of the day was the women’s 400 freestyle relay, which was won by the team from Spårvägen.  Stina Gardell led off the team with a 56.85, and Michelle Coleman went second with a 53.62.  By far the fastest split of the race came from Sjostrom in a 52.68, swimming second for her relay, which placed fifth over all.