Sarah Sjöström Named Swedish Female Athlete Of The Year After Historic 2023

Sarah Sjöström: Picture courtesy: Sarah Sjöström Instagram

Sarah Sjöström Named Swedish Female Athlete Of The Year After Historic 2023

Sarah Sjöström was named Swedish Female Athlete of the Year for the sixth time after an historic 2023 that saw her rewrite the record books once more.

The 30-year-old won her fifth straight 50 fly world title in Fukuoka in July last year to become only the second swimmer along with Katie Ledecky in the 800 free to win five successive golds in the same event.

Around 12 minutes later she lowered her own 50 free WR to 23.61 in the semis, six years to the day since she went 23.67 at the Budapest worlds.

Come the final and Sjöström claimed her third ‘splash and dash’ title in 23.62, the second-fastest time in history, as she claimed her 21^st individual world medal.

With that she became the most decorated individual medallist in World Championship history with one more than Michael Phelps.

Following the award ceremony, Sjöström posted to social media, thanking her family, friends, followers and “beloved cats”.

She wrote:

“Yesterday, I received the award Female Athlete of the Year in Sweden for the 6th time. 🏆

“My words on stage were brief, all I wanted to say was that I’m grateful for the chance to pursue my passion.

“Thank you to my fans/followers for their unwavering support, and to my exceptional team for making my journey even more meaningful.

“To my family, friends, and beloved cats, your constant love is a cornerstone of my success. I cherish you all deeply, even if I don’t express it daily. Meow.”

Chad Le Clos was among the many to offer congratulations, saying: “Goat❤️🔥” meaning Greatest of all time.

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A post shared by Sarah Sjöström 🏊🏻‍♀️🇸🇪🥇 (@sarahsjostrom)

Sjöström is a swimmer of astonishing longevity having won her first international title at 14 with 100 fly gold at the 2008 European Championships.

She is preparing for her fifth Olympics in Paris with four medals – including 100 fly gold at Rio 2016 – already in her armoury and with plans for a sixth Games in 2028.

Should she compete in Los Angeles, Sjöström would become only the second female swimmer to make six Games alongside fellow Swede Therese Alshammar.

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