Sarah Sjöström took off her goggles, looked up at the scoreboard, and let out all her emotions. She celebrated by hitting the water with joy, sitting up on the lane line, and raising her chin and arms high.
The renowned Swedish sprint swimmer climbed out of the pool, waved to the crowd, then covered her face, overwhelmed by her win in the 100-meter freestyle on Wednesday night.
Sjöström started her impressive Olympic career at age 15 in Beijing, and now, at 30 in Paris, she’s an Olympic champion once again.
This is quite an achievement for someone who initially didn’t want to swim the 100-meter freestyle, an event where she has held the world record since 2017.
“This is unbelievable. I didn’t think I would swim the 100 free, honestly,” Sjöström said. “After the freestyle relay the first day, I told my coach right away, ‘No, I don’t think 100 free’s for me, I want to do the 50, I want to rest until the 50.’ And he was like, ‘No way, you need to go out there and see what you can do no matter the outcome.’”
This win is her second career gold medal in her fifth Olympics.
Sjöström finished with a time of 52.16 seconds, just ahead of American silver medalist Torri Huske, who finished at 52.29 seconds, while Siobhan Bernadette Haughey from Hong Kong took bronze with a time of 52.33 seconds.
“I think my reaction said everything,” Sjöström said. “I didn’t really know where I was exactly when I finished. It took a few seconds before I realized I had won. I just felt like I had a really good race and was so focused on all the details that I’ve been working on.”
Her coaches encouraged her to try the 100 free at the start of the swimming events last weekend. Did she argue? “Yeah, of course I did,” she said with a grin.
Sjöström had planned to focus on the 50 free in Paris, but she’s thrilled to have changed her mind—or to have had it changed for her.
She was behind at the halfway point.
“I didn’t know exactly what I could do and I definitely didn’t know what everyone else could do,” she said. “I’m super proud of myself that I tried this.”
As a five-time Olympian with three current world records — in the 50 butterfly and 100 and 50 freestyle — she won the 100 butterfly in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago.
“I have seven silver medals at the world championships and a bronze medal from the 2016 Olympics,” Sjöström said. “So that says a lot. I have no more words.”
During her victory lap around La Defense Arena, Sjöström lifted the Swedish flag and frequently stopped for selfies with fans.
Now, she will have a few days to rest and refocus on her 50 freestyle, which will take place on Sunday, the final day of swimming at these Games. It’s the race she knows best and where she feels most comfortable.
“That’s always been my challenge with the 100 freestyle, because I really need to focus on the breathing pattern,” Sjöström said. “When I do the 50 freestyle, there is no problem, so I just put my head down, spin my arm, and swim fast.”
