At Latest Games, Sprint Sensation Sarah Sjostrom Dazzled in City of Lights
Just before the start of the Olympic Games, Sarah Sjostrom was comfortable with a limited schedule. The 50-meter freestyle and a little relay duty for Sweden. That program seemed just right for the 30-year-old. It would allow her to give back to her country, while focusing on the individual event that meant to the most to the future Hall of Famer.
When Sjostrom departed Paris, however, she had a pair of solo gold medals in her possession.
As successful as Sjostrom has been in the 100-meter freestyle through the years, including as the world-record holder, the Swede has never adored the event. And when she believed contesting the discipline might jeopardize her chances for gold in the 50 freestyle, Sjostrom had no regrets leaving the longer event behind.
But the new nine-day Olympic schedule placed two days between the final of the 100 freestyle and the opening round of the 50 freestyle. That gap, as coach Antonio Lutula saw it, provided a reason for Sjostrom to contest the 100 freestyle. A little prodding eventually got his pupil on the starting block.
After qualifying for the final as the sixth seed, Sjostrom was still viewed as a medal contender. Securing gold? Well, that seemed to be a stretch, especially with Australian Mollie O’Callaghan coming off a title in the 200 freestyle and armed with the best closing speed in the field.
In the final, Sjostrom turned at the midway point in fourth place at 25.26, with American Torri Huske in front off a split of 25.06. Down the last length, Sjostrom remained strong and gradually cut into Huske’s advantage. While O’Callaghan charged as expected, it was Sjostrom who edged Huske at the wall, 52.16 to 52.29. Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey earned bronze in 52.33 while O’Callaghan was fourth in 52.34, unable to make up her early deficit.
Upon seeing the scoreboard, Sjostrom initially wore a look of shock, then celebrated by sitting on the lane line. She followed with raised arms and several splashes of the water.
“I didn’t know exactly what I could do and I definitely didn’t know what everyone else could do,” said Sjostrom, whose homecoming split of 26.90 was the second-fastest in the field. “I’m super proud of myself that I tried this. I think my reaction said everything,”
Sjostrom’s triumph in the 100 freestyle might have been a surprise, but her effort in the 50 free was anticipated. The longtime queen of the one-lap sprint, Sjostrom dominated the competition at La Defense Arena. Following an Olympic-record time of 23.66 in the semifinals, Sjostrom clocked 23.71 in the final to comfortably defeat Aussie Meg Harris, who grabbed the silver medal in 23.97.
The gold medal in the 50 free raised Sjostrom’s career-medal total at the Games to six and earned redemption for the silver medal won by the Swedish star at the Tokyo Games. Sjostrom’s gold medals in Paris complemented the first gold she won in the 100 butterfly at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
A five-time Olympian, Sjostrom once struggled on the five-ring stage. At the 2012 Games in London, she failed to advance out of the semifinals of the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle. She was also fourth in the 100 butterfly, where a medal was expected.
These days, Sjostrom welcomes the pressure of the Olympics, an approach that was on full display in Paris.
“I mean, how much better Games could you have,” Sjostrom said. “It’s unbelievable. This was definitely my best Olympics. I never thought I would win the two golds (at) my fifth Olympics. You never know what will happen, but I can definitely say, I’m not going to be better than this. This is the peak of my career, for sure. I’m so proud of what I’ve done my whole career. I’m definitely going to continue swimming for many years, but how can I top this ever?”
