Sarah Sjostrom: All Grown Up (SW Radio)

Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / MIA Rossiya Segodnya

Feature by Jeff Commings, Swimming World senior writer

Less than 24 hours after winning her third world championship title in the 100 butterfly, Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom look relaxed and grinned constantly. She was holding court for a group of reporters in the corner of a private room reserved this week by swimsuit maker Arena, describing the emotions that came with setting the world record.

Lounging on a cream-white sofa with the sun warming her back and the training pool in view, Sjostrom reminisced about her world record performance of 55.64, a swim that came six years and one week after her first world title in 2009. She’s 21 years old now, too young to be called an “old lady” in this sport but old enough to have gained valuable experience.

“I am much more confident now than when I was a teenager,” she said, adding that her recent decision to train with a team instead of working out alone was a big factor in her major gains in the pool.

Listen To Interview On Swimming World Radio

When Sjostrom won the 100 fly at the 2009 world championships, she was a virtual unknown in the event. As she progressed through the rounds in Rome, the target on her back grew larger, but she was able to handle the external and internal expectations to swim a 56.06.

Fast forward six years, and there was no chance of her avoiding the spotlight, especially after nearly breaking Dana Vollmer’s world record of 55.98 with a 56.04 in mid-June. Now in her twenties, she said she’s able to handle that pressure a lot better than she did as a 15-year-old in the 2009 world championships.

“It’s so tough to compare, because everything is so different now than it was in 2009,” she said. “I was not the favorite before the competition started (in 2009). There was no pressure for myself in Rome. I was very happy that I could handle that. I proved to myself (in the 2015 final) that it doesn’t matter if I have the pressure. I can still swim fast.”

The key element in producing her winning performance was better speed in the first 50 meters. After breaking the world record in the 50 butterfly in July 2014 with a 24.43, Sjostrom knew she was on the right track to having the ability to challenge the 56-second barrier.

“I knew that I had to swim a faster 50 fly if I wanted to improve my 100-meter time,” she said. “I had the same time in the 50 fly for five years, and I knew that I wouldn’t be faster in the 100 fly if I didn’t have the speed as well.

“I’m very fast in the last 50 meters, but I knew I had to be fast the first 50 meters.”

Sjostrom said she never had great turns, preferring to use the turn at 50 meters as a rest period. That included the underwater kicking, something she used to think was also a time to rest before emerging for the push to the finish.

“I’m very scared to get too tired in the turn, so I tend to relax,” she said. “Sometimes too much.”

With one year until the Rio Olympics, Sjostrom has an air of confidence about her. On the line is the potential to have four consecutive years of great performances that stretches back to her 2013 world title in the 100 fly. Before that, she had been uneven in her results, including missing out on the Olympic podium in 2012.

“Four years goes very quickly,” she said about the fast pace of every Olympic cycle. “This year has been about just trying to keep improving all the time.”

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Name*

Email*

1 Comment

Oldest

Newest Most Voted

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Bill V

8 years ago

Another sign she’s grown up: her eyelashes got a lot longer, seemingly overnight! 😉