Beyond 100 Freestyle, Marrit Steenbergen Packaged Spectacular Summer
The Summer of 2026 will be remembered for the dominance of Marrit Steenbergen in the 100-meter freestyle. On five occasions, the Dutch star broke the 52-second barrier in the event, accounting for half of the all-time sub-52s. The highlight of the quintet was Steenbergen’s world record of 51.68 at the Sette Colli International Trophy in Rome, and she also captured her second European crown with a .81-second margin of victory in Paris.
The excellence of Steenbergen in the 100 freestyle overshadowed what has been a spectacular campaign from a multi-event perspective. Aside from her world record in the 100 freestyle, Steenbergen established personal-best times in four other disciplines – the 50 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 50 backstroke and 100 backstroke. The 200 freestyle and 100 backstroke yielded silver medals at the European Championships.
An international presence for the Netherlands for more than a decade, Steenbergen produced a massive drop in the 200 freestyle, going from 1:55.51 (2023) to 1:54.65. The Dutchwoman’s new best left her just shy of the 1:54.38 that Czechia’s Barbora Seemanova clocked for the gold medal at Euros. More, Steenbergen moved into the all-time top-20.
As for the 50 freestyle, Steenbergen opened 2026 with a top mark of 24.42. Now, she possesses a best of 24.09, which she delivered at the Dutch Championships. Her year has also featured swims of 24.18, 24.27, 24.29 and 24.34 – proof of her consistent speed.
In the backstroke, Steenbergen lowered her top performances to 27.16 in the 50 distance and to 58.33 in the 100 backstroke. Both marks are top-20 in history. At Euros, she missed the podium by a hundredth of a second in the 50 backstroke, finishing fourth. In the 100 backstroke, her silver medal at Euros was her first piece of international hardware in the event.