European Recap Day 2: Sjostrom’s Long Road to Olympic Gold

2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES

EUROPEAN RECAPS:

WORLD RECORDS

  • Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – women’s 100 butterfly – finals – 55.48 (OR, NR)
    • Previous record – Sarah Sjostrom – 55.64 – 2015 World Championships
  • Adam Peaty (GBR) – men’s 100 breaststroke – finals – 57.13 (OR, NR)
    • Previous record – Adam Peaty – 57.55 – 2016 Olympic Games

NATIONAL RECORDS

  • Austria – Felix Auboeck – men’s 200 freestyle – prelims – 1:47.24
    • Previous record – Dominik Koll – 1:47.72 – 2008 Olympic Games
  • Finland – Jenna Laukkanen – women’s 100 breaststroke – prelims – 1:07.35
    • Previous record – Jenna Laukkanen – 1:07.58 – 2015 World Championships
  • Estonia – Maria Romanjuk – women’s 100 breaststroke – prelims – 1:09.49
    • Previous record – Maria Romanjuk – 1:09.49 – 2015 World Championships
  • Ireland – Shane Ryan – men’s 100 backstroke – prelims – 53.85 
    • Previous record – Shane Ryan – 54.21 – 2016 European Championships
  • Hungary – Boglarka Kapas – women’s 400 freestyle – finals – 4:02.37
    • Previous record – Boglarka Kapas – 4:03.47 – 2016 European Championships
  • Romania – Robert Glinta – men’s 100 backstroke – semi-finals – 53.34
    • Previous record – Robert Glinta – 53.43 – 2016 European Championships

Medal Standings

Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Hungary 1 1
Italy 1 1
Spain 1 1
Great Britain 1 1 2
Sweden 1 1
France 1 1
Total 3 2 2 7

There were two world records and nine national records set by European swimmers on the second day of competition. There were also four medals won by Europeans:

  • Gold – Adam Peaty (GBR) – 100 breaststroke
  • Gold – Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 100 butterfly
  • Silver – Jazz Carlin (GBR) – 400 freestyle
  • Silver – France – men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay

Sjostrom’s Journey to Olympic Gold

It has been a long road to the top of the Olympic podium for 22 year old Sarah Sjostrom who tonight became the first Swedish female swimmer to win Olympic gold. Sjostrom made her presence truly felt in the swimming world for the first time at the 2008 European Championships where she won the 100 butterfly at the age of 14. She went on to compete in her first Olympic Games only a few months later finishing 27th in the event.

The next year Sjostrom shocked the world by winning the 100 butterfly at the 2009 World Championships in Rome at the age of 15. The Swede was one of several swimmers who gained a massive advantage through the use of the polyurethane suits dropping her lifetime best of 58.38 in 2008 to a new world record time of 56.06 in Rome. Like many of the athletes who had outstanding swims at the 2009 World Championships she was not able to maintain the same type of performances.

After experiencing success so early Sjostrom suffered disappointment finishing one place away from the medal podium at both the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games. In London she also had to watch first hand as American Dana Vollmer took down her world record by winning the event in a time of 55.98.

Then in Barcelona, four years after she had won her first and only medal in the 100 butterfly at a major international competition, Sjostrom found herself back on top of the podium. She collected gold at the World Championships once again and swam under 57 seconds for the first time since 2009, winning the event in a time of 56.53.

Last summer in Kazan she not only won her third World Championship gold in the event, but she once again laid claim to the world record. Sjostrom first broke Vollmer’s mark in the semi-final posting a time of 55.74 and then broke her own record in the final winning the event in a time of 55.64.

Coming into Rio Sjostrom had one thing left to achieve, which she did tonight by winning the Olympic gold in the 100 butterfly in a world record time of 55.48, “It was absolutely amazing,” Sjostrom told Radiosporten. “I just saw that I won. It was crazy awesome to do my best race in an Olympic final.”

 

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About Jeff Grace

Jeff Grace

Jeff is a 500 hour registered yoga teacher who holds diplomas in Coaching (Douglas College) and High Performance Coaching (National Coaching Institute - Calgary). He has a background of over 20 years in the coaching profession, where he has used a unique and proven teaching methodology to help many achieve their …

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