| Sarah Sjöström | |
| Fullname: | Sarah Fredrika Sjöström |
| National Team: | Sweden |
| Strokes: | Butterfly, freestyle, backstroke |
| Club: | Energy Standard, Södertörns SS |
| Coach: | Johan Wallberg |
| Birth Date: | 17 August 1993 |
| Birth Place: | Salem, Sweden |
| Height: | 1.82 m[1] |
| Weight: | 76 kg |
Sarah Fredrika Sjöström (in Swedish ˈsɑ̂ːra ˈɧø̂ːstrœm/; born 17 August 1993) is a Swedish competitive swimmer specialising in the sprint freestyle and butterfly events.
As of 2024, Sjöström has won a total of 23 individual medals at long course World Championships, more than any other swimmer in history. She is the only female swimmer to win five individual medals at a single FINA World Aquatics Championships, a feat she accomplished in 2019. In 2021, Sjöström achieved a career total of over 1000 most valuable player points in the International Swimming League, becoming the first swimmer in history to do so. In 2022, she became the first swimmer from any country to have won a total of 28 medals at LEN European Aquatics Championships. She has won 112 medals at Swimming World Cups.
Sjöström is the current world record holder in the 50 metre freestyle (long course), the 100 metre freestyle (long course), and the 50 metre butterfly (long course). She is a former world record holder in the 100 metre butterfly (long course), 50 metre freestyle (short course), 100 metre freestyle (short course), 100 metre butterfly (short course), 200 metre freestyle (short course), and the 4×50 metre medley relay (short course). She is the first Swedish woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming.[2] [3] She won the Overall Swimming World Cup in 2017 and 2018. In 2022, she became the first swimmer representing a country in Europe to win 10 individual World Championships gold medals. She currently represents Energy Standard in the International Swimming League.
Sjöström participated in five consecutive Olympic Games, from Beijing 2008 through Paris 2024. She has won six Olympic medals: three gold (100 metre butterfly, 100 metre freestyle and 50 metre freestyle), two silver (200 metre freestyle and 50 metre freestyle), and one bronze (100 metre freestyle).
On 22 March 2008, at the age of 14, Sjöström won the gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, with a time of 58.44 seconds.[4] [5] In the semi-finals the day before, she set a new Swedish record of 58.38 seconds, breaking the previous record of 58.71 seconds by Anna-Karin Kammerling.[6] Three days earlier, she won her first medal of the Championships in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, contributing a split time of 56.17 for the third leg of the relay in the preliminary heats before being substituted out for the finals relay and winning a bronze medal for her efforts when the finals relay placed third in 3:41.28.[7] [8] At the Swedish championships in 2008 in the same event, she finished in a time of 58.55 seconds.
See also: Swimming at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Sjöström earned a spot on the Swedish Swim Team for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, where she finished 27th in the preliminary heats of the 100 metre butterfly with a time of 59.08 and 29th in the preliminary heats of the 100 metre backstroke with a time of 1:02.38, failing to advance to the semi-finals in both races. She also swam the backstroke leg of the 4×100 metre medley relay in the preliminaries, in which the Swedish team qualified in seventh place for the finals, though the team went on to be disqualified in the final for a false start. The day of the 4×100 metre medley relay final coincided with Sjöström's 15th birthday.
On 26 July 2009, at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Sjöström set a world record in the semifinals of the 100 metre butterfly with a time of 56.44 seconds, surpassing Inge de Bruijn's nine-year-old record.[9] The next day, in the final of the event, she won the gold medal and improved her world record time to 56.06 seconds at just of age.[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]
At the 2010 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, Sjöström defended her European title in the 100 metre butterfly by winning the event.[15] With a split time of 53.77 seconds for the third leg of the 4×100 metre freestyle relay in the final, she helped Sweden win the bronze medal in a time of 3:38.81.[16] For the 4×100 metre medley relay, she anchored the relay in the final with a time of 53.73 seconds to help her country finish in 4:01.18 and win the silver medal.[17] In December 2011, she broke the Swedish record when she won the 100 metre freestyle at the Open Dutch Championships in Eindhoven. However, she failed to win a medal at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai.[18]
At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in Shanghai, China, Sjöström competed in five events, first placing fourth in the 100 metre butterfly with a time of 57.38 seconds, which was 0.32 seconds behind bronze medalist Lu Ying of China.[19] In her next event, the 200 metre freestyle, she placed fourth, finishing less than nine-tenths of a second behind world record holder in the event and gold medalist Federica Pellegrini of Italy with a time of 1:56.41.[20] The following day, she helped achieve a time of 8:02.30 and overall placing of twelfth in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay, splitting a 1:57.84 for the third leg of the relay in the preliminaries.[21] Two days later, on the final day of competition, she contributed to an overall placing of tenth in the 4×100 metre medley relay, swimming the backstroke portion of the relay in 1:01.24 in the preliminaries to help achieve a time of 4:02.71 that did not qualify the relay to the evening final.[22] Later in the day, she finished outside the podium in her third and final individual event, this time tying Lu Ying for fourth-place in the final of the 50 metre butterfly with a 25.87.[23]
For Sjöström, 2012 was a year of both successes and setbacks. At the 2012 European Aquatics Championships, held in early summer in Debrecen, Hungary, she achieved double gold medals in her individual events, with one in the 50 metre butterfly and one in the 100 metre freestyle.[24] [25] In her relay event, the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, she helped win the silver medal in a final time of 3:38.40, swimming the third leg of the relay in 54.04 seconds.[26]
See also: Swimming at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Sjöström competed in four individual events,[27] reaching the semi-finals of the 50 metre freestyle, 100 metre freestyle and 200 metre freestyle, and placing fourth in the final of the 100 metre butterfly with a time of 57.17 seconds. Sjöström's world record was broken in this race by Dana Vollmer of the United States.[28] In 2015, Sjöström regained the world record by improving it twice at the World Championships, held in Kazan, Russia.[29]
On 29 July 2013, Sjöström won the gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships, in Barcelona, Spain, with a time of 56.53 seconds, which was 0.44 seconds faster than silver medalist Alicia Coutts of Australia and 0.71 seconds faster than bronze medalist Dana Vollmer.[30] [31] Four days later, she won a silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle, finishing 0.55 seconds behind a first-time world champion in the event, Cate Campbell of Australia, with a time of 52.89 seconds.[32] [33]
At the 2013 European Short Course Swimming Championships in December in Herning, Denmark, Sjöström won four medals in individual events, a gold medal in the 50 metre butterfly with a Championships record of 24.90 seconds, a gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly, a silver medal in the 50 metre freestyle, and a silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle, and two medals in relay events, one silver medal each in the 4×50 metre freestyle relay and 4×50 metre medley relay.[34]
On 5 July 2014, Sjöström broke the world record in the long course 50 metre butterfly, set at 25.07 by fellow Swedish swimmer Therese Alshammar in 2009, with a time of 24.43 seconds. The margin of 0.64 seconds by which she lowered the world record compared to the prior record has been juxtaposed with Bob Beamon's 1968 long jump world record.[35] At the 2014 European Aquatics Championships, held in Berlin, Germany later that summer, she won three gold medals and four silver medals. On 18 August, she and her Swedish relay teammates won the gold medal in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay. The next day she also won the final of the 50 metre butterfly. On 20 August, the she won her third gold medal, this time in the 100 metre freestyle. She also won silver medals in the freestyle relay, 100 metre butterfly, 50 metre freestyle and 4×100 metre medley relay.[36] [37]
In December 2014, Sjöström competed in five individual events and two relay events at the 2014 World Short Course Swimming Championships, contested at Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, Qatar, medalling in four of seven of her events.[38] She won her first medal of the Championships on day three in the 100 metre freestyle, finishing in a time of 51.39 seconds to win the silver medal just 0.02 seconds behind gold medalist Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands.[39] Approximately 30 minutes later, she won the gold medal in the 50 metre butterfly with a Championships record time of 24.58 seconds.[40] Two days later, she won the gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly with a world record and Championships record time of 54.61 seconds, which was over four-tenths of a second faster than the former world record time.[41] [42] [43] Approximately 70 minutes later, she won another gold medal with a world record and Championships record time, this time lowering the world record in the 200 metre freestyle by over three-tenths of a second with a final mark of 1:50.78.[43] [44] For her other three events during the five day competition, she placed fourth in the 4×100 metre medley relay with a 3:51.64, seventh in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay with a 4:43.44, and nineteenth in the 200 metre butterfly with a 2:09.51.[38]
In 2015, and leading up to the World Championships, Sjöström received the Jerring Prize and a Victoria Scholarship.[45] Approximately two months earlier, at the 2015 Eindhoven Swim Cup in April, she became the first female Swedish swimmer to achieve a time faster than 1:00.00 in the 100 metre backstroke, setting a new Swedish record with a personal best time of 59.98 seconds.[46] At the 2015 World Aquatics Championships, held in July and August, she won a total of five medals, including gold medals in the 50 metre butterfly and 100 metre butterfly events, during the latter she broke the world record twice, first with a 55.74 in the semifinals then again with a 55.64 in the final.[47] Her gold medal in the 50 metre butterfly was the first gold medal she won at a FINA World Aquatics Championships. With both of the gold medals, she also became the first Swedish swimmer to win two World Championships gold medals during a single World Aquatics Championships. In the 100 metre freestyle, she won the silver medal with a time of 52.70 seconds, sharing the podium with Australian sisters Bronte Campbell, gold medalist, and Cate Campbell, bronze medalist.[48]
On the final day, Sjöström concluded competition with a bronze medal in the 50 metre freestyle and a silver medal in the 4×100 metre medley relay. Thus she won medals in all four individual events, and in the three relay events there was a silver medal and two fourth-place finishes. In all, she won two gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze medal during world championship week; more medals than any Swede had previously won at the same world championships.[49]
At the 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships, held in December in Netanya, Israel, Sjöström won the gold medal in the 50 metre butterfly with a Championships record time of 24.58 seconds on day two.[50] The following day, she placed first in the final of the 100 metre freestyle with a time of 51.37 seconds to win the gold medal.[51] In her first race of the fifth and final evening, the semifinals of the 50 metre freestyle, she finished in a time of 23.75 seconds to qualify for the final ranking second overall.[52] Approximately, 28 minutes later, she won the gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly, achieving a Championships record time of 55.03 seconds in the final to finish 0.63 seconds ahead of silver medalist Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark.[53] She won her second medal of the evening approximately 44 minutes later, swimming to a silver medal-finish in the final of the 50 metre freestyle with a time of 23.63 seconds, which was 0.07 seconds behind the first-place finisher and 0.41 seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.[54] Concluding with the final of the 4×50 metre medley relay approximately 26 minutes later, she split a 24.33 for the butterfly leg of the relay to help finish in a time of 1:45.34 and win the silver medal.[55]
Before the end of the year, Sjöström was named as the first Swedish swimmer by Swimming World to receive their accolade "Swimmer of the Year in Europe"; she was also awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, an annual award "for the most significant Swedish sports achievement of the year", with the words "For explosive willpower, double world records and a historic gold cavalcade".[45] [49]
Ahead of her international competitions for the 2016 year, on 25 January 2016, Sjöström was awarded the Swedish public radio Jerring Award for the second year in a row.[56] On the first day of swimming competition at the 2016 European Aquatics Championships, held in May in London, England, she won a bronze medal in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, leading-off the relay with a 53.48 to contribute to the final mark of 3:37.84.[57] She followed up with a gold medal-win the next day in the 50 metre butterfly, finishing first with a time of 24.99 seconds, which was 0.56 seconds slower than her world record time in the event.[58] [59] On the third day, she shared the podium with two Dutch swimmers in the 100 metre freestyle, winning the gold medal with a time of 52.82 seconds.[60] The fourth day, she won her final medal of the competition, a gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly with a Championships record time of 55.89 seconds.[61]
See also: Swimming at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
On 7 August 2016, Sjöström won the gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, setting a world record with a time of 55.48 seconds.[62] With her win she became the first female Swedish swimmer to win a gold medal at an Olympic Games.[63] [64] She went on to win the silver medal in the 200 metre freestyle, where she finished 0.35 seconds behind gold medalist Katie Ledecky of the United States with a Swedish record time of 1:54.08, and the bronze medal in 100 metre freestyle, where she finished 0.29 seconds behind a two-way tie for the gold medal with a time of 52.99 seconds.[65] [66] With her medals, she became the second female swimmer in history and the fifth swimmer of any gender to win medals in the 100 metre freestyle, 200 metre freestyle, and the 100 metre butterfly at the same Olympic Games or long course World Championships, after Mark Spitz (1972), Kornelia Ender (1975, 1976), Matt Biondi (1986, 1988) and Michael Klim (1998).[67]
In January 2017, Sjöström competed at the 19th Luxembourg Euro Meet and won the 50 metre freestyle with a time of 24.01 seconds, the 100 metre freestyle with a 53.21, the 50 metre butterfly with a time of 25.02 seconds, and the 100 metre butterfly with a 57.12.[68] Three months later, she competed in the Stockholm Swim Open and won the 50 metre butterfly with a time of 25.63 seconds.[69] She also won the 100 metre butterfly with a time of 56.26 seconds.[70] [71] She also won the 50 metre freestyle, setting a time of 23.83 seconds, the second fastest time ever.[72] In the 100 metre freestyle she took first-place with the time of 52.54 seconds, a new personal best and Swedish record.[73]
At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, with swimming contested at Danube Arena in July in Budapest, Hungary, Sjöström won her first medal of the Championships in the 100 metre butterfly, winning the gold medal with a Championships record time of 55.53 seconds, which was 0.65 seconds faster than silver medalist Emma McKeon of Australia and 0.84 seconds faster than bronze medalist Kelsi Dahlia of the United States.[74] With her win, she became the first woman in history at FINA World Aquatics Championships to win four gold medals in the event and in any one individual event.[75] [76] One day earlier, in the final of the 4×100 metre freestyle relay on the first day of competition, she set a new world record in the 100 metre freestyle, swimming a time of 51.71 seconds for the lead-off leg of the relay, and helping place fifth in a time of 3:33.94.[77] [78] On the sixth day, she won a silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle with a time of 52.31 seconds, finishing just 0.04 seconds behind gold medalist and 2016 Olympic champion in the event Simone Manuel of the United States.[79]
The seventh day, Sjöström started the evening session off winning the gold medal in the 50 metre butterfly with a Championships record time of 24.60 seconds, which was over seven-tenths of a second faster than the second-place finisher.[80] [81] Approximately an hour later, in the semifinals of the 50 metre freestyle, she broke the world record of 23.73 seconds set by Britta Steffen of Germany in 2009 with a new world record and Championships record time of 23.67 seconds.[81] [82] [83] Day eight of eight, she won the gold medal in the 50 metre freestyle, finishing in a time of 23.69 seconds, just 0.02 seconds off her world record time from the day before.[84] [85] In her sixth and final event, the 4×100 metre medley relay, she split a 55.03 for the butterfly leg of the relay in the final, which was the fastest time by any of the finals relay butterfly swimmers by over one full second and contributed to a fifth-place finish in a time of 3:55.28.[86]
For the whole summer of 2017, Sjöström broke six world records in less than one month (the two at the aforementioned World Championships and later at 2017 Swimming World Cup short course competitions in Moscow, 50 metre freestyle at 23.10 seconds and 100 metre freestyle at 50.77 seconds, and Eindhoven, 100 metre freestyle at 50.58 seconds and 200 metre freestyle at 1:50.43).[87] [88] [89] [90] As a simultaneous holder of eight world records on the short and long course, she became the swimmer to hold the most current world records in international swimming. In early August, Sjöström improved her time in the short course 50 metre freestyle, at races in Berlin, from 23.10 to 23.00.[91] In the race, however, she was second behind Ranomi Kromowidjojo, who with the time 22.93 took from Sjöström one of her eight records.
For the third day of competition at the 2017 European Short Course Swimming Championships, in December in Copenhagen, Denmark, Sjöström won her first medal of the evening in the final of the 100 metre freestyle, placing second with a time of 51.03 seconds to secure the silver medal.[92] Her second medal of the evening came in the 100 metre individual medley, finishing 0.95 seconds behind gold medalist Katinka Hosszú of Hungary in the final with a time of 57.92 seconds to win a second silver medal.[93] Medal number three for the evening was a third silver medal, this time in the 4×50 metre freestyle relay, where she contributed to the final mark of 1:35.92 with a 22.94 for the second leg of the relay.[94] Day five of five, she won her first gold medal of the Championships in the 100 metre butterfly with a Championships record time of 55.00 seconds, which was 0.97 seconds faster than silver medalist Marie Wattel of France.[95] She won her second gold medal approximately 48 minutes later, finishing first in the final of the 50 metre freestyle with a Championships record of 23.30 seconds.[96] Approximately 31 minutes later, she won her third and final gold medal of the night, splitting a 24.27 for the butterfly portion of the 4×50 metre medley relay to help place first in 1:44.43.[97]
In August, at the 2018 European Aquatics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, Sjöström won the gold medal in the 100 metre butterfly on day two of competition with a time of 56.13 seconds.[98] [99] Approximately 65 minutes later, she swam a Championships record time of 23.74 seconds in the final of the 50 metre freestyle, finishing 0.01 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Pernille Blume of Denmark to win the gold medal.[99] [100] For the final of the 100 metre freestyle on day six, she won the gold medal with a time of 52.93 seconds after tying the Championships record time of 52.67 seconds in the semifinals the day before.[101] [102] In the final of the 50 metre butterfly on day seven, she won her fourth gold medal, this time finishing over half of one second ahead of silver medalist Emilie Beckmann of Denmark with a time of 25.16 seconds.[103] [104]
At the 2019 World Aquatics Championships held in Gwangju, South Korea, Sjöström won five medals, the most for a woman in individual events at the year's World Championships. She won a gold medal in the 50 metre butterfly with a time of 25.02 seconds, which marked the third consecutive gold medal she won in the event at the World Championships.[105] In the 100 metre butterfly, she won the silver medal with a time of 56.22 seconds to finish less than four-tenths of a second behind gold medalist Maggie Mac Neil of Canada.[106] She won her second silver medal of the Championships in the 50 metre freestyle, where she finished 0.02 seconds behind first-place finisher Simone Manuel with a time of 24.07 seconds.[107] For her first bronze medal, she placed third in the 200 metre freestyle with a time of 1:54.78, finishing within six-tenths of a second of gold medalist Federica Pellegrini and within two-tenths of a second of silver medalist Ariarne Titmus of Australia.[108] In the 100 metre freestyle she won her second of two bronze medals with a time of 52.46 seconds, sharing the podium with Simone Manuel, gold medalist, and Cate Campbell, silver medalist.[109]
Based on her performances and result as the most decorated female competitor in individual events at the Championships, Sjöström was named FINA female swimmer of the meet, which she also won in 2017.[110] [111]
In the fall of 2019, she was a member of the inaugural International Swimming League competing for the Energy Standard Swim Club of which she was co-captain with Chad le Clos. The team won the overall title in the season finale in Las Vegas, United States, in December.[112] At the first stop of the regular season, in Indianapolis, United States, she won the Most Valuable Player title, amassing 55.5 points over the competition, and after the season finale in Las Vegas, she was named the overall Most Valuable Player for the entire season with 243.5 points. During the season, she won the 50 metre freestyle in three matches, the 100 metre freestyle in two matches, the 50 metre butterfly in three matches, and the 100 metre butterfly in one match. She also won the 50 metre freestyle skins event at three matches.
In the 2020 International Swimming League season Sjöström placed 5th overall in points in 2020, due in part to a back injury that made her sit out of a full match.[113] She ranked second to Caeleb Dressel in points-per-match with 59.4, noted 16 individual wins, including three in the skins.[114] And while neither were official world records, Sjöström also featured on Energy Standard's women's and mixed 4×100 freestyle relays that were both the fastest of all time.
See also: Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Due to a broken elbow Sjöström accidentally obtained by falling on ice in February 2020, she did not compete at the 2020 European Aquatics Championships.[115] [116] She returned to training in the pool in March and to competitive swimming in early June ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics.[116] [117] In the 50 metre freestyle at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sjöström won the silver medal.[116] The persistence Sjöström demonstrated in working through her elbow injury and winning a medal at the Olympic Games earned her the "Olympic Resilience Award" for the 2020 Summer Olympics from Swimming World.[118] In her other events, Sjöström placed fifth in the 100 metre freestyle, fifth in the 4×100 metre medley relay, sixth in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, and seventh in the 100 metre butterfly.[119]
At the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships held at the Palace of Water Sports in Kazan, Russia in November, Sjöström competed in nine events, winning four gold medals, one each in the 50 metre freestyle, 100 metre freestyle, 50 metre butterfly, and 100 metre butterfly, a silver medal in the 4×50 metre medley relay, and a bronze medal in the 100 metre individual medley as well as placing fourth in the 4×50 metre mixed medley relay and the 4×50 metre mixed freestyle relay and fifth in the 4×50 metre freestyle relay.[120]
In the 2021 International Swimming League, Sjöström became the first swimmer in history, male or female, to achieve over 1000 most valuable player points as part of their time competing in the International Swimming League, out-ranking the second-ranked Caeleb Dressel by over 50 points.[121] Sjöström won most valuable player honors both for the entire 2021 season and for the 2021 final match.[122] For the whole 2021 season, Sjöström was the top-earning athlete, winning $269,125 in the form of prize money, which was over $70,000 more than the next-highest-earning athlete Siobhán Haughey.[123]
For the 2021 World Short Course Swimming Championships at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in December, Sjöström entered to compete in the 50 metre freestyle, 100 metre freestyle, and 50 metre butterfly individual events.[124] In the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, Sjöström swam on both the prelims and the finals relay, helping to win the bronze medal in the event in a time of 3:28.80, which was the first time she won a medal in the event at a world or European short course championships.[125] [126] Sjöström won her heat in the prelims with a time of 52.21 seconds in the 100 metre freestyle on day two, finishing 0.17 seconds ahead of Kayla Sanchez of Canada and qualifying for the semifinals ranked second overall.[127] Later in the day, in the final of the 4×50 metre medley relay, Sjöström split a 23.96 for the butterfly leg of the relay to help win the gold medal and tie the world record and championships record at 1:42.38.[128] [129] [130] The same session, she ranked first in the semifinals of the 100 metre freestyle with a 51.53 and qualified for the final the following day.[131]
In the morning of day three, Sjöström qualified for the semifinals of the 50 metre butterfly ranking first with a time of 24.92 seconds.[132] Sjöström won the silver medal in the final of the 100 metre freestyle later in the day with a time of 51.31, finishing less than four-tenths of a second behind gold medalist Siobhán Haughey of Hong Kong.[133] For the semifinals of the 50 metre butterfly, she qualified for the final ranking second with a 24.94.[134] In the final the following day, Sjöström won the silver medal with a time of 24.51 seconds.[135] The fifth morning, Sjöström advanced to the semifinals of the 50 metre freestyle ranking first by over three-tenths of a second with a 23.31 in the prelims heats.[136] In the semifinals she swam one-hundredth of a second faster, qualifying for the final with a time of 23.30 seconds.[137]
On the sixth and final day, Sjöström led-off the 4×50 metre freestyle relay with a 23.50 in the prelims, helping qualify the relay to the final ranking third.[138] In her first final of the evening, Sjöström helped set a new Swedish record of 1:34.54 and win the silver medal in the 4×50 metre freestyle relay with a lead-off split of 23.33 seconds.[139] For her next race, the 50 metre freestyle final, Sjöström won the gold medal and set a new Championships record of 23.08 seconds, breaking the former record of 23.19 set by Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands in 2018 by over one-tenth of a second.[140] [141] In her final event of the championships, Sjöström split a 54.65 for the butterfly leg of the 4×100 metre medley relay, helping win the gold medal in a new European record time of 3:46.20.[142]
At the end of 2021, Sjöström was the only swimmer to rank in the top ten internationally in two or more individual long course metre events for 11 or more consecutive years, 2021 inclusive, ranking in the top ten in the 100 metre freestyle for 12 years and the 50 metre butterfly and 100 metre butterfly for 13 years.[143] Additionally, Sjöström was tied with Katie Ledecky for number two in terms of total number of individual world records set in the 21st century, each having achieved 14 individual world records, and was six world records behind number one ranked Katinka Hosszú.[144]
In January 2022, Sjöström was announced as one of the team Sweden members pre-nominated for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.[145] In the 100 metre freestyle at the World Championships in June, she won the silver medal with a time of 52.80 seconds, this marked her seventeenth individual medal (eighteenth total), and sixth individual silver medal (seventh total), at FINA World Aquatics Championships.[146] [147] [148] The following day, she won a gold medal in the 50 metre butterfly with a time of 24.95 seconds.[149] It was her fourth consecutive gold medal in the event at a World Aquatics Championships.[150] On the final day of competition, she started off with a gold medal in the 50 metre freestyle with a time of 23.98 seconds.[151] This marked her tenth gold medal won in individual events at FINA World Aquatics Championships, making her the fifth swimmer from any country to achieve the feat, after Michael Phelps of the United States, Katie Ledecky of the United States, Sun Yang of China, and Ryan Lochte of the United States, and the first swimmer representing Europe to achieve the feat.[152] For her final event, she swam the freestyle leg in the 4×100 metre medley relay, helping team Sweden achieve a fourth-place finish in the event with a finals relay time of 3:55.96.[153]
Sjöström was one of twelve Swedish female swimmers named to the official roster for the 2022 European Aquatics Championships, held in August in Rome, Italy.[154] On the second day of competition, she ranked first in the prelims heats of the 50 metre butterfly with a time of 25.30 seconds, qualifying for the semifinals later in the day.[155] She lowered her time to a 25.10 in the semifinals and qualified for the final ranking first by over half a second.[156] The following day, she won the gold medal with a time of 24.96 seconds.[157] [158] Her swim marked the fourteenth time she had swum the race faster than 25.00 seconds.[159] Later in the session, she won a silver medal in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, swimming a 53.12 for the lead-off leg of the relay in the final to help finish in 3:37.29.[160]
In the morning session on day five, Sjöström started off ranking first in the prelims heats of the 50 metre freestyle with a 24.50, qualifying for the semifinals.[161] [162] For her second event of the session, she helped qualify the 4×100 metre mixed freestyle relay to the final ranking sixth, splitting a 54.28 for the fourth leg of the relay.[163] With a 24.27 in the semifinals of the 50 metre freestyle, she qualified for the final ranking first, 0.09 seconds ahead of Katarzyna Wasick of Poland.[164] [165] Finishing off the day, she won bronze medal in the 4×100 metre mixed freestyle relay, splitting a 52.68 for the third leg of the relay to contribute to the final time, and Swedish record, of 3:23.40.[166] The bronze medal marked her 26th medal at LEN European Aquatics Championships and set a new record for the most number of medals won at the Championships by a female swimmer from any country.[167] She further increased the record to a total of 27 medals the following day when she won the gold medal in the 50 metre freestyle with a time of 23.91 seconds, this also marked a new overall record by a swimmer from any country, male or female.[168] [169] The previous record was set by male swimmer Alexander Popov of Russia at 26 medals.[170]
The seventh and final morning, Sjöström split a 54.01 for the freestyle leg of the 4×100 metre medley relay, helping qualify for the final ranking first in 3:59.19.[171] In the final, she lowered her split time to a 52.04, helping win the gold medal in a time of 3:55.25, which marked her 17th gold medal at LEN Aquatics Championships and extended the all-time total medal record to 28 medals.[172] [173]
At the 2023 Stockholm Swim Open in April, Sjöström won the long course 50 metre freestyle with the fastest time in the world for the 2023 year by a female at that point in the time, a 2023 World Aquatics Championships qualifying time of 23.92 seconds.[174] [175]
At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Sjöström won the long course 50 metre freestyle, breaking her own world record in the semifinal. In doing so, she set the record for the longest period of time in between world-record setting performances by an individual swimmer, 14 years and 3 days after first breaking the 100 metre butterfly world record in 2009.[176] She also won the 50 metre butterfly for the fifth time in a row at the World Aquatic Championships. These two medals led her to tie and then overtake Michael Phelps as the swimmer with the most individual World Aquatic Championship medals at 21 in her career.[177] She additionally performed on Sweden's 400 metre freestyle and 400 metre medley relays; notably, her lead-off split of 52.24 in finals for the freestyle relay would have earned her a silver medal in the 100 metre freestyle.[178]
At the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Sjöström won the long course 50 metre freestyle as well as the 50 metre buttterfly. The latter for a sixth time in a row at the World Aquatic Championships.[179] Sjöström, now focusing on the shortest distances, had only planned to swim 50 metre freestyle at the Olympics. However, she decided to join 100 m freestyle as it suited her schedule between the 4×100m freestyle relay and the 50 metre freestyle.[180] She won the gold in 100 metre frestyle on the 31st of July on a time of 52.16 seconds.[181]
| No. | Event | Time | Date | Meet | Location | Age | Status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 m butterfly | 56.44 | sf | World Championships | Rome, Italy | Former | ||||
| 2 | 100 m butterfly (2) | 56.06 | World Championships | Rome, Italy | Former | |||||
| 3 | 24.43 | Swedish Championships | Borås, Sweden | Current | ||||||
| 4 | 100 m butterfly (3) | 55.74 | sf | World Championships | Kazan, Russia | Former | ||||
| 5 | 100 m butterfly (4) | 55.64 | World Championships | Kazan, Russia | Former | |||||
| 6 | 100 m butterfly (5) | 55.48 | Summer Olympics | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Former | |||||
| 7 | 100 m freestyle | 51.71 | r | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | Current | ||||
| 8 | 50 m freestyle | 23.67 | sf | World Championships | Budapest, Hungary | Former | ||||
| 9 | 50 m freestyle (2) | 23.61 | sf | World Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | Current | [182] |
| No. | Event | Time | Date | Meet | Location | Age | Status | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 m butterfly | 54.61 | World SC Championships | Doha, Qatar | Former | |||||
| 2 | 200 m freestyle | 1:50.78 | World SC Championships | Doha, Qatar | Former | |||||
| 3 | 50 m freestyle | 23.10 | World Cup | Moscow, Russia | Former | |||||
| 4 | 100 m freestyle | 50.77 | World Cup | Moscow, Russia | Former | |||||
| 5 | 100 m freestyle (2) | 50.58 | World Cup | Eindhoven, Netherlands | Former | |||||
| 6 | 200 m freestyle (2) | 1:50.43 | World Cup | Eindhoven, Netherlands | Former | |||||
| 7 | 4×50 m medley | 1:42.38 | = | World SC Championships | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | Former |
| Meet | 50 free | 100 free | 200 free | 100 back | 50 fly | 100 fly | 4×100 free | 4×200 free | 4×100 medley | 4×100 mixed free | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd | 4th | ||||||||||
| 29th | 27th | 8th | |||||||||
| 19th | 6th | 5th | 13th | 11th | |||||||
| 4th | 4th | 6th | |||||||||
| 4th | 4th | 4th | 12th | 10th | |||||||
| 14th | 9th | 12th | 4th | 8th | 10th | ||||||
| 4th | 4th | 4th | 9th | ||||||||
| 4th | 4th | ||||||||||
| 6th | |||||||||||
| 13th | 5th | 5th | 9th | ||||||||
| 5th | 5th | ||||||||||
| 6th | 7th | ||||||||||
| 5th | 7th | 6th | 5th | ||||||||
| 4th | |||||||||||
| 5th | |||||||||||
| 5th |
Sjöström swam only in the heats.
Team Sweden was disqualified in the final.
Only individual
| Summer Olympic Games | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=150 | Year ! | width=120 | Date ! | width=200 | Event ! | width=80 | Time ! | Position |
| 29 July 2012 | 57.17 | 4th | ||||||
| 7 August 2016 | 55.48 WR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 9 August 2016 | 1:54.08 NR | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 11 August 2016 | 52.99 | 3rd | ||||||
| 26 July 2021 | 56.91 | 7th | ||||||
| 30 July 2021 | 52.68 | 5th | ||||||
| 1 August 2021 | 24.07 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 31 July 2024 | 52.16 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 4 August 2024 | 23.71 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| World Aquatics Championships | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=150 | Year ! | width=120 | Date ! | width=200 | Event ! | width=80 | Time ! | Position |
| 27 July 2009 | 56.06 WR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 1 August 2009 | 26.66 | 6th | ||||||
| 25 July 2011 | 57.38 | 4th | ||||||
| 27 July 2011 | 1:56.41 | 4th | ||||||
| 30 July 2011 | 25.87 | 4th | ||||||
| 29 July 2013 | 56.53 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 31 July 2013 | 1:56.63 | 4th | ||||||
| 2 August 2013 | 52.89 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 4 August 2013 | 24.45 | 4th | ||||||
| 3 August 2015 | 55.64 WR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 7 August 2015 | 52.70 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 8 August 2015 | 24.96 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 9 August 2015 | 24.31 | 3rd | ||||||
| 24 July 2017 | 55.53 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 28 July 2017 | 52.31 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 29 July 2017 | 24.60 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 30 July 2017 | 23.69 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 22 July 2019 | 56.22 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 24 July 2019 | 1:54.78 | 3rd | ||||||
| 26 July 2019 | 52.46 | 3rd | ||||||
| 27 July 2019 | 25.02 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 28 July 2019 | 24.07 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 23 June 2022 | 52.80 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 24 June 2022 | 24.95 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 25 June 2022 | 23.98 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| European Aquatics Championships | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=150 | Year ! | width=120 | Date ! | width=200 | Event ! | width=80 | Time ! | Position |
| 22 March 2008 | 100 m butterfly | 58.44 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 10 August 2010 | 50 m butterfly | 26.14 | 4th | |||||
| 11 August 2010 | 100 m freestyle | 54.16 | 4th | |||||
| 13 August 2010 | 100 m butterfly | 57.32 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 22 May 2012 | 25.64 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 23 May 2012 | 53.61 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 19 August 2014 | 24.98 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 20 August 2014 | 52.67 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 22 August 2014 | 56.52 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 24 August 2014 | 24.37 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 17 May 2016 | 24.99 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 18 May 2016 | 52.82 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 19 May 2016 | 55.89 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 4 August 2018 | 56.23 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 4 August 2018 | 23.74 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 8 August 2018 | 52.93 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 9 August 2018 | 25.16 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 13 August 2022 | 24.96 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 16 August 2022 | 23.91 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| Meet | 50 free | 100 free | 200 free | 50 fly | 100 fly | 200 fly | 100 medley | 4×50 free | 4×100 free | 4×200 free | 4×50 medley | 4×100 medley | 4×50 mixed free | 4×50 mixed medley | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | 7th | 6th | |||||||||||||
| 9th (h) | 4th | 7th | 8th | ||||||||||||
| 19th | 7th | 4th | |||||||||||||
| DNS | 9th | ||||||||||||||
| 5th | 4th | 4th | |||||||||||||
Only individual
| World Short Course Championships | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=150 | Year ! | width=120 | Date ! | width=200 | Event ! | width=80 | Time ! | Position |
| 5 December 2014 | 51.39 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 5 December 2014 | 24.58 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 7 December 2014 | 54.61 WR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 7 December 2014 | 1:50.78 WR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| 18 December 2021 | 51.31 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 19 December 2021 | 24.51 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | |||||
| 21 December 2021 | 23.08 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | |||||
| European Short Course Championships | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=150 | Year ! | width=120 | Date ! | width=200 | Event ! | width=80 | Time ! | Position |
| 12 December 2008 | 100 m freestyle | 53.45 | 6th | |||||
| 12 December 2008 | 50 m butterfly | 26.10 | 7th | |||||
| 14 December 2008 | 100 m butterfly | 57.40 | 6th | |||||
| 11 December 2009 | 50 m butterfly | 25.58 | 7th | |||||
| 13 December 2009 | 200 m freestyle | 1:54.32 | 4th | |||||
| 13 December 2009 | 100 m butterfly | 57.87 | 8th | |||||
| 13 December 2013 | 100 m freestyle | 51.99 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | ||||
| 13 December 2013 | 50 m butterfly | 24.90 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 15 December 2013 | 100 m butterfly | 55.78 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 15 December 2013 | 50 m freestyle | 23.79 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | ||||
| 3 December 2015 | 50 m butterfly | 24.58 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 4 December 2015 | 100 m freestyle | 51.37 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 6 December 2015 | 100 m butterfly | 55.03 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 6 December 2015 | 50 m freestyle | 23.63 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | ||||
| 15 December 2017 | 100 m freestyle | 51.03 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | ||||
| 15 December 2017 | 100 m individual medley | 57.92 | bgcolor=silver | 2nd | ||||
| 17 December 2017 | 100 m butterfly | 55.00 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 17 December 2017 | 50 m freestyle | 23.30 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 3 November 2021 | 50 m freestyle | 23.12 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 4 November 2021 | 100 m individual medley | 58.05 | 3rd | |||||
| 5 November 2021 | 100 m freestyle | 51.26 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 6 November 2021 | 100 m butterfly | 55.84 | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
| 7 November 2021 | 50 m butterfly | 24.50 CR | bgcolor=gold | 1st | ||||
The following medals Sjöström has won at Swimming World Cup circuits.[183]
| Edition | Gold medals | Silver medals | Bronze medals | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 9 | 5 | 5 | 19 | ||
| 25 | 9 | 0 | 34 | ||
| 23 | 14 | 1 | 38 | ||
| Total | 63 | 34 | 15 | 112 |
Sjöström won the gold in the 100 m freestyle at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She won the gold medal in the 100 m butterfly at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics on 7 August 2016, setting an Olympic and World record with a time of 55.48.She also won a gold medal in 100 m butterfly in the World Championships in Rome 2009 and set the world record.
In January 2022, Sjöström announced her engagement to her boyfriend of ten years, Swedish fencer Johan de Jong Skierus.[200] [201] [202]