A Glance At How Sarah Sjostrom Has Owned the 50-Meter Butterfly
Earlier this month, we looked at the dominance of Katie Ledecky in the 800-meter freestyle, the event which launched her spectacular career. Now, we shift the focus to Swedish superstar Sarah Sjostrom, who added to her legend in the 50-meter butterfly while racing this weekend at the Monaco stop of the Mare Nostrum Tour.
Behind a time of 24.89, Sjostrom defeated Frenchwoman Melanie Henique (25.96) by more than a second. The fact that Sjostrom prevailed by that type of margin in a one-lap event emphasized her unmatched skill. Meanwhile, the performance marked the 15th time in which Sjostrom has cracked the 25-second barrier.
How many other women have ever gone sub-25? NONE!
Sjostrom owns the 24-fastest times in history, the last of that lot placing her in a tie with countrywoman Therese Alshammar at 25.07. More, of the 50-fastest times ever produced, according to the World Aquatics database, Sjostrom accounts for 44. That type of percentage is nearly unfathomable, as is the fact that Sjostrom’s world record of 24.43 places her .64 clear of the Alshammar, the No. 2 performer of all-time.
At this summer’s World Championships in Fukuoka, Sjostrom will chase her fifth consecutive gold medal in the 50 fly, having previously claimed the title in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2022. Her margins of victory in those triumphs have been stunning: .38, .78, .33 and .36. That separation is greater than what is typically seen in the longer events.
Here’s a glance at Sjostrom’s 24-fastest times:
24.43
24.60
24.69
24.76
24.79
24.87
24.89
24.90
24.95
24.95
24.96
24.96
24.96
24.98
24.99
25.02
25.02
25.04
25.05
25.06
25.07
25.07
25.07
25.07
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