Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjostrom, the reigning World Record holder in the 100 meter freestyle, has decided that she will not swim the event individually at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Despite holding the fastest time in history at 51.71, which she swam while leading off the 4×100 free relay at the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, the individual gold medal has eluded her for the past five world championships and two Olympic Games.
Sjostrom earned silver at the 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2022 World Championships, and bronze in 2019. In 2023, she opted not to swim the event individually, instead leading off the 4×100 relay in a time of 52.24, a time that would have earned silver only behind Mollie O’Callaghan’s 52.16. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sjostrom earned bronze (52.99) behind Simone Manuel and Penny Oleksiak’s tie for gold, while at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she missed the podium by 0.16 seconds, ultimately finishing in 5th (52.68).
Sjostrom told Dagens Nyheter, a daily newspaper in Sweden, that while she will be swimming the 100 free at Doha, it is not because she is chasing gold. When asked to elaborate, she clarified that although she thought “it would have been so cool to get a gold there too” she ultimately decided to swim it because she believed that it would “be good to have a race there.” Additionally, she would not have any other races on the first day of competition since the Swedish women have already qualified their 4×100 freestyle relay for the Olympics during last year’s Fukuoka Championships.
As for her decision to skip the event at Paris, Sjostrom explained that she believes her door for the 100 free has closed. She said that she is “happy with everything [she] has done in the 100 free, from the world record to all the silver medals.” She feels similarly for the 100 fly and 200 free, which is why she no longer competes in those events either. Now, Sjostrom has her eyes set on Olympic Gold in the 50 free because she has always “wanted to go all in on the 50 distances,” and believes that her best shot at accomplishing this feat requires being fresh when the time comes.
Although Sjostrom will not be competing the event individually, she will still have the opportunity to log an official time in the 100 free at Paris if she leads off the 4×100 free relay.
Speedy Swedish Super Star Sarah Sjostrom to Surprisingly Skip Swimming Sports Signature Sprint; Some Saddened
A N N O U N C E M E N T
I also will NOT be swimming the 100 m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics!
Good luck to those who will be contesting this event this summer in the “City of Light.”
Sjostrom has been so generous in her efforts for Swedish team at the big events.
She swam both heat and final, even in the 4×200 free relay not only 4×100 free relay, so that the Swedish quartets were in the final.
For instance, in an ordinary Sjostrom’s day, at Worlds 2015 she swam two 200 frees in the heat and final of the 800 free relay, the latter of whom a 1.54.31 way faster than the winning time in the 200 free (1.55.16) and after the 100 free semifinal.
Sarah would say that Bronte 2015 and Simone 2017 were great and fully deserved their 100 free golds, but I say that Sarah was even greater even if… Read more »
nooooooooo
I don’t think Sjostrom is doing this because she doesn’t think she’s fast enough, I think she’s putting all her cards in on the 50, which she has a better chance to win. I mean she’s basically doing what everyone here keeps saying they want Dressel to do.
In 2016 she didn’t win because she had too heavy of an event program and it was at the end of the meet.
In 2021 she was coming back from a broken elbow.
This year is her time.
She may even have won the 100 free in Rio if she had dropped the 200 from her program.
Like many, I think that her window of opportunity for the 100free had not necessarily closed but I can certainly respect her decision which would not have been made lightly. Again, it certainly would not surprise if she throws another “what if” in front of our noses with a lead-off swim in the 4X100 in Paris.
Don’t think I’ll be alone in hoping for a golden double in the 50free with both Doha & Paris.
I will comment here because its not possible to comment on the Arena new powerskin suit:
The not sponsored athletes are paying more now for a Jammer than a fullbody suit from the 2008-2009 era.
World aquatics should do something about this. It’s unfair on many levels for the athletes who aspire to swim as fast as the sponsored athletes to have to pay this much for a suit when most of the countries in the world are poor
Most sports equipment has increased like this. You can’t get a pair of road running shoes that will last for at least $200 and up.
However, suits these days last much longer than they did 10 years ago. You can buy and use it for many meets before it feels stretched out.
Especially from Arena, I used the carbon pro power skins a few years ago and had suits that held up for 4-5 years before the seams finally split
World Aquatics DID do something about this, but not what you would hope! Ask swimmers from various international federations who wear Arena or other brands if they do so by choice or are forced to by their federation. (If they don’t, they face monetary fines, threatened to be kicked off team/future events, etc) Then email World Aquatics and ask if all of that is allowed.
You don’t need a tech suit.
Would much rather have her racing the 50 than retire…and hands down the best 50 flyer ever!