When Sarah Sjostrom broke the 100m butterfly world file on the 2009 World Championships in Rome aged 15, little did she know it might be six years earlier than she set one other private greatest in that occasion.
The Swede received European gold in 2010 and regarded on as her world file was damaged on the 2012 Olympics.
She was topped 2013 world champion in Barcelona however 2015 was the 12 months she broke by means of her personal barrier, to start with on the Sette Colli in June the place she turned the second quickest girl in historical past over 100m butterfly.
Then at the beginning of August on the World Championships in Kazan the 22-year-old twice introduced down Dana Vollmer’s world file, first within the semis after which to 55.64 within the ultimate.
It was the primary of two gold medals in Russia – and 5 general – nevertheless it additionally meant she had once more set a brand new private greatest however this time underneath intense strain within the midst of a heavy programme.
“I’ve been ready six years to interrupt my private greatest time. I did it on the Sette Colli and now I’ve taken a couple of extra tenths of a second so lastly,” she smiled.
“In fact this file was meant to be damaged. It was my plan all alongside – to beat a file at these Championships; I’ve been gearing up for this.
“I do know there’s extra strain coming into the ultimate. There are at all times extra emotions earlier than the race in regards to the ultimate so I’m very glad and I’ve proven myself I can swim sooner even with all of the strain.”
Sarah, who trains underneath Carl Jenner in Stockholm, was a European champion at 14, a 12 months earlier than her gold-medalling swim in Rome.
Nonetheless, the final 12 months have been stellar for Sarah with seven medals, together with three golds, on the 2014 European Championships weeks after she had set a startling world file of 24.43 within the 50m fly.
There have been additionally three golds and a silver on the World Quick-Course Championships in Doha final December.
What’s the secret behind such constant success?
“Now I’ve extra competitors in coaching, I race the boys,” she explains.
“I feel I can do my tapering a lot better – earlier than my physique was altering a bit after I was a young person, it was not that simple.
“I didn’t know actually what to do with the taper, now it really works higher so that’s the reason I can swim sooner after I come to the worldwide competitions.
“Final 12 months my focus was to get the pace sooner so that’s the reason I feel my instances have been so quick final 12 months and now focus is extra on the 100 fly.
“So now I can deliver the pace from the 50 to the 100 so I really feel I’ve the endurance to swim on the final 50.”
—————
Be impressed by our assortment!
