Watch Sarah Sjöström Swim the 2nd-Fastest 100 Fly in History (Race Video)

2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Sweden’s Sarah Sjöström is just miles ahead of the competition in the 100m butterfly. She dominates this event in the way Katie Ledecky dominates the 400m and 800m freestyles; that is, she owns all 10 of the best performances in history. (Note: Federica Pellegrini still holds the 10th rung in the 400m free with her historic 3:59.15, but Ledecky owns the 9 other 400 times and all 10 800 times.)

In the final of the women’s 100 fly on Monday evening in Budapest, Sjöström went out like a rocket and looked like she might take a chunk out of her own world record. While she just missed that mark, she nonetheless finished in a Championship-record time of 55.53, half a body length ahead of second-place Emma McKeon of Australia.

Watch the entire race below, courtesy of NBC Sports.

Write-up by Lauren Neidigh:

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

  1. GOLD: Sarah Sjostrom, SWE, 55.53
  2. SILVER: Emma McKeon, AUS, 56.18
  3. BRONZE: Kelsi Worrell, USA, 56.37

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom was out like a light with a 25.6 split at the 50. Though she was well under World Record pace on the front half, she fell off the mark on the 2nd 50, but still held on for gold by a long shot with a new Championship Record of 55.53.

Australia’s Emma McKeon (56.18) set a new Commonwealth and Australian Record for silver, while American Kelsi Worrell (56.37) shaved down her personal best time to win her first major international medal individually with a 3rd place finish.

FInishing just off the podium was Canadian Olympic medalist Penny Oleksiak, the Junior World Record holder, in 56.94. Oleksiak used her back half speed to run down Korea’s An Sehyeon (57.07) and was able to hold off Japanese junior star Rikako Ikee (57.08).

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mbl
6 years ago

Looks like Peaty and Sjostrom have turned their attention to the 50s, judging by the 50 splits in their respective events.

jg1662
6 years ago

To Swedish newspapers she is hinting that the she sees the end of the 100m races for her within a few years. She is quoted as saying “I have taken my four gold medals in the 100m butterfly. I really don’t have much more to prove in butterfly, I have done as much as I can.”

However, she also says that it can be any time between a few years to 10 years.

I’m hoping for 10.

http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/GVbjV/beskedet-hon-ser-slutet-pa-satsningen

SwimJon
6 years ago

So that was second fastest in history with a scary first 50… and yet I get the feeling that more was expected… the 50’s will be fun to see

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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