Sarah Sjostrom Dominates Swedish Short Course Championships
Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse
STOCKHOLM – Sarah Sjostrom has dominated the Swedish Short Course Championships thus far in Stockholm with five golds and a Swedish record.
Sjostrom took down a longer-distance Swedish record than she is typically known for as the sprinter went 4:02.33 in the women’s 400-meter free. That swim undercut Gabriella Fagundez’s 4:03.27 from 2009 to stand as the new national mark. That moved Sjostrom up to 13th in the world.
Laura Lajunen (4:10.60) and Frida Berggren (4:14.14) placed second and third behind her.
Sjostrom vaulted to second in the world rankings in the women’s 100-meter fly with a sizzling 55.98. That’s not far off Therese Alshammar’s Swedish record of 55.53, and is only second to China’s Lu Ying (55.95) this year.
Rebecka Palm (59.49) and Ida Lindborg (59.50) took second and third with Alshammar still swimming her way to fourth in 59.61.
Sjostrom won a third title in the women’s 50-meter fly with a 25.10, good enough for third in the world behind Inge Dekker (24.59) and Jeanette Ottesen (24.88). Louise Hansson (26.34) and Rebecka Palm (26.41) took second and third.
Sjostrom’s fourth title came by way of a meet-record 2:04.23 in the women’s 200-meter fly. That swim beat Martina Granstrom’s 2011 time of 2:04.71 and put Sjostrom third in the world. Only Katinka Hosszu (2:02.99) and Mireia Belmonte (2:03.39) have gone faster.
Sjostrom then jumped to the top of the world rankings with a 23.55 in the women’s 50-meter free to beat Therese Alshammar’s meet record of 23.72 from 2009. That’s Sjostrom’s fifth victory of the meet thus far. Magdalena Kuras (24.90) and Louise Hansson (24.91) placed second and third.
Jennie Johansson took down a Swedish mark in the women’s 100-meter breast with a 1:04.94. That swim cleared Emma Igelstrom’s national and meet record of 1:05.11 from 2003, and put Johansson up to fifth in the world. Jessica Eriksson (1:07.37) and Una Finnman (1:07.52) rounded out the podium.
Johansson doubled up with a 2:22.66 to win the women’s 200-meter breast, while Jessica Eriksson (2:25.00) and Sophie Hansson (2:28.72) placed second and third.
Adam Paulsson smashed the Swedish record in the men’s 800-meter free with a 7:53.78. That swim crushed the 7:58.08 set by Stefan Persson back in 1987. Victor Johansson (8:02.46) and Simon Plato (8:03.58) finished second and third.
That was a second win for Paulsson as he previously won the men’s 400-meter free in a junior record time of 3:45.99. Gustaf Dahlman placed second in 3:48.52 with Mattias Carlsson claiming third in 3:48.96.
Oscar Ekstrom downed a Swedish record in the men’s 200-meter free with a 1:44.58. That clipped Anders Holmertz’ 1992 mark of 1:44.69. Christoffer Carlsen finished second in 1:46.45 with Robin Andreasson earning third in 1:46.91.
Simon Sjodin clocked a meet-record 1:54.63 in the men’s 200-meter IM. That swim cleared his own 1:56.04 from 2013, and jumped him to eighth in the world. Linus Kanth (1:57.53) and Simon Frank (1:58.38) took second and third.
Sjodin doubled up with another meet record, this time a 1:54.40 in the men’s 200-meter back. That beat Kristian Kron’s 1:54.70 from 2012. Axel Pettersson (1:55.67) and Simon Frank (1:56.57) rounded out the top three.
Louise Hansson set a meet record with a 2:09.12 in the women’s 200-meter IM. That time moved her to 14th in the world rankings, and beat Sarah Sjostrom’s mark of 2:09.40 from 2011. Jaqueline Hippi took second in 2:13.47 with Frida Berggren placing third in 2:13.67.
Alexander Nystrom jumped to 14th in the world with a meet-record 53.20 in the men’s 100-meter IM. That swim eclipsed Simon Sjodin’s record of 53.52 from 2012. Stefan Stojmenovic finished second in 54.90 with Oscar Ekstrom taking third in 54.96.
Magdalena Kuras moved to 18th in the world with a 1:00.06 to win the women’s 100-meter IM, while Una Finnman placed second in 1:01.18. Madja Salomonsson (1:01.69) wound up third.
Michelle Coleman vaulted to 10th in the world in the women’s 100-meter back with a 57.55, while Ida Lindborg (59.07) and Magdalena Kuras (59.58) touched second and third.
Henrik Lindau won the men’s 50-meter fly in 23.59 with Alexander Nystrom (23.75) and Jacob Thulin (23.78) earning second and third.
Erik Persson claimed the men’s 200-meter breast in 2:07.90, while Gulliver Koch took second in 2:08.41. Johannes Skagius placed third in 2:11.07.
Laura Lajunen topped the women’s 800-meter free in 8:36.95 with Erica Dahlgren finishing second in 8:45.59. Alba Fores wound up third in 8:48.54. Lajunen doubled with a 16:30.32 in the women’s 1500-meter free. Alba Fores (16:41.83) and Ellen Olsson (16:45.67) also finished in the top three.
Jacob Thulin snared the men’s 100-meter fly in 52.13 with Oscar Ekstrom taking second in 52.27. Henrik Lindau claimed third in 52.31.
Johannes Skagius took the men’s 100-meter breast in 58.48, while Gulliver Koch (1:00.42) and Marcus Svensson (1:00.57) closed out the top three. Skagius doubled up with a 27.02 in the men’s 50-meter breast. Gulliver Koch (27.51) and Marcus Svensson (27.87) placed second and third.
Results: Swedish Short Course Championships