Sarah Sjostrom Goes 23 Again in 50 Free (Bergen)

10TH BERGEN SWIM FESTIVAL

Swedish star Sarah Sjostrom has clocked a 23.87 in the 50 long course meter freestyle on the final day of the 2017 Bergen Swim Festival Sunday. That swim ranks as the 3rd-fastest performance in the history of the event, behind only the 23.73 World Record of Britta Steffen and the 23.83 that Sjostrom did a month ago at the Stockholm Open.

Sjostrom has been knocking on the door of her personal bests in most events this weekend. She swam 52.86 in the final of the 100 free, slower than her best of 52.54; and 56.32 in the 100 fly, about a second slower than her World Record best of 55.48.

The 50 free has emerged as a new, exciting event for Sjostrom this season. She’s gone 24.01-or-better 4 times this year after Sunday’s swim – something she had done only once (a 23.98 in 2014) prior to 2017.

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SwimJon
7 years ago

So skipping 200 free is really paying off. And being hampered by a lot of relay duties before I so look forward to Budapest. 4 golds? Yeah, why not?

Human Ambition
Reply to  SwimJon
7 years ago

Too bad Sweden lacks one woman for the relays.

Riez
Reply to  SwimJon
7 years ago

She will make it. 100 fly on the second day, 100 free on the sixth, then she will have the 50 fly final an hour after the 50 free semi on the seventh afternoon, but as Joe says, it’s just a “little warm up”, 50 free on the eights. Quite a favourable schedule, any relays should be adjusted to that. Now she and KL both have a pretty good chance to grab four individual golds, only Hosszu has to come up with some surprise (200 fly maybe).

Pvdh
7 years ago

As much as I love to see SS vs KL in the 200 free, seeing SS rip these ridiculous sprint times is awesome

John26
7 years ago

When is the Swedish nationals? Interesting that her day 2 performances were much stronger than her day 1 performances. She hasn’t had a major drop in her 100free like her other events yet, but I think the time has come. She has been underswimming that event relative to her others for 3 years now.

Joe
Reply to  John26
7 years ago

June 30th-July 4th.

Joe
Reply to  Joe
7 years ago

Was day 2 really that much stronger though? Remember 50 butterfly used the ridiculous knockout-system, i.e. heat in morning and then quarter-semi-final in the span of about 15 minutes. 100 free was a very good time.

Joe
7 years ago

Fantastic. It was her fifth race of the day aswell. Heat & semi in 50 free and heat & final in 100 fly. Although a little warmup seemingly has never hurt her 50.

Dylab
7 years ago

50 free world record is going down in Budapest

Joe
Reply to  Dylab
7 years ago

I’d say WR at the Swedish nationals, which will be hosted at the same venue where she broke her 50 fly record! Hard to WR in the splashy championship pool.

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