Three-time Olympic medalist and Swedish swim star, Sarah Sjostrom, dropped into the Pro Swim Series for one day in Atlanta. She flew to the United States to do a few clinics and a photo shoot for Arena. The Pro Swim Series stop was a brief moment in a busy schedule to test her speed. She won the 100m fly in 56.6 and picked up silver in the 100m free in 53.4.
Sarah’s been training with Energy Standard in Turkey to escape the dark Swedish wintertime. She’s focused on her dryland training, which she credits with making her freestyle so fast last summer.
Sarah’s confident about her butterfly, solidly controlling the 50-100 world records. She’s gaining confidence in the 50-100 freestyle. Despite holding world records in all four races, she knows she’s got to perform at the right moment to top the podium on the international stage. Sarah has Swedish European Trials in early April and her peak meet will be European Championships August 2-12 this summer.
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
I’ll say Sjostrom swims about 23.55 this year. She can get that tenth just by improving her underwaters and getting a little stronger. Don’t think she’ll go under 51.71 but I do think we’ll see a few sub 52. If she can go 23.7, 52.2 in Stockholm I think that would be right on schedule.
The butterfly seems more like something she needs to sustain at this point. 55.5 will do just fine in Tokyo, too. If she keeps being under 56 for the season that’s good, and let’s say 56.5 in Stockholm. She’s turning that race more into a front half race with her sprint profile.
She has done 56.62 when she hasn’t been in shape so I think she will go faster than that. However I think her freestyle races will be slower than last year.
Has Sjostrom ever done 200 fly? Maybe she can take down that ridiculous record.
She could challenge, but she would really have to have the endourance the last 50. She could go out 57-8 and come back 1:03ish but that’s a lot to ask for.
She has been 2:03.x in 200 fly scm. Dont think she is never gonna try.
Actually it was 2.04.23- absolutely without any special preparation at SC SM 2014. Than she decided to make in at the World Short Course in Doha 2 weeks later, but was not focused in Doha and finished 2.09.51. After that she lost any interest in 200 fly. That’s like when she broke national LC record in 400 free in Amiens in March 2014 – just wanted to beat Hosszu. She did not enter the event in advance, but host side accepted her entry and in the final she was the 1st – 4.06.05 – National Record by 4.5 seconds. Just enough to beat Hosszu. Could be exceptional middle distance swimmer, but is better as sprinter.
Looks like 2014 was her best year in freestyle. Impressive personal bests from 50 through 400. And then no progress until she changed the coaching team.
She did 2.04.23 at the 2014 swedish short course championships. She then entered the event at the 2014 short course world championships, and swam a 2.09 in the heats and missed the final. After that swim she said she’s never gonna swim the 200 fly again.
I’m pretty sure she could do very good times in short course if she gave it a shot, but i think that 2014 experience scared her away from the event for good.
I think you need to train for the 400m free to swim a great 200 lcm fly. Also, I think training 2-fly lcm would kill her speed. HOWEVER, I love it when any great talent swims that event—the perfect event, the greatest event ever invented.
Yes, this is the case of e.g. Milak. He trains for the 400 free now and hasn’t too much speed.
Says Mel Stewart, who used to have the world record in the 200 fly ?