Sarah Sjostrom:
Not one of Sweden’s Legends…THE Legend
Sarah Sjostrom remembers her first swim at the World Championships—almost a decade ago (2009) in Rome. The then-15-year-old figured she swam well in those 100 meter fly heats. Turns out, she was the top seed—and she almost broke the world record.
Sjostrom arrived in Rome Having already won a European title in the 100 fly as a 14-year-old in Eindhoven in 2008, but was little known globally after not making it out of the prelims at the Olympic Games held later that year. But a few hours later, in the middle of the grand Foro Italico in Rome, the world had its eyes on Sjostrom in lane four in the second semifinal of the women’s 100 fly.
Through the first 50, Sjostrom swam an average 27.12 split, 11th-best in the field. But the teenager had a weapon the world would soon see on display: a natural, pure speed.
“I was so relaxed. It didn’t really bother me if people were ahead of me the first 50. I used them to try to catch up. I could see how I was getting closer all the time,” Sjostrom said. “I was so young then,” she added with a laugh.
That night, Sjostrom became a world record holder. Coming from nowhere over the final 25 meters, Sjostrom put up a time of 56.44, under the nine-year-old world record of 56.61 set by Dutch legend Inge de Brujin.
To read more about Sweden’s legendary superstar Sarah Sjostrom,
check out the full June 2019 issue of Swimming World Magazine, available now!
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FEATURES
016 GLOBAL WARMING
by David Rieder, Dan D’Addona, Taylor Brien, Andy Ross, Erin Keaveny and Michael Randazzo
Expect the competition to heat up, July 12-28, as the world’s best aquatic athletes from all over the world converge on Kwangju, South Korea for the 18th FINA World Aquatics Championships.
PREVIEW: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
016 WOMEN’S SWIMMING
019 MEN’S SWIMMING
024 OPEN WATER SWIMMING
025 DIVING
025 WATER POLO
027 ARTISTIC SWIMMING
028 SWEDISH SUPERSTAR
by David Rieder
Sarah Sjostrom’s swimming career has gone from teenage record-breaking dynamo to Olympic disappointment in 2012 to one of the world’s transcendent female swimmers. In Sweden, the 25-year-old is not ONE of her country’s swimming legends. She is THE legend.
031 REMEMBERING THE 1st WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS – BELGRADE ’73
by Bruce Wigo
Swimming World takes a look back at the 1st FINA World Aquatics Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1973—what was behind the start of a world championship meet and the intrigue behind adding synchronized swimming to the program…and the numerous controversies that led up to the meet as well as the ones that followed.
034 NUTRITION: AROUND THE TABLE WITH MICHIGAN LAKESHORE AQUATICS
by Dan D’Addona and Dawn Weatherwax
COACHING
010 LESSONS WITH THE LEGENDS: DON REDDISH
by Michael J. Stott
014 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTIMAL MODEL FOR TECHNIQUE: PART 7—BODY BASE OF SUPPORT FOR FREESTYLE
by Rod Havriluk
Since hand force is directly related to swimming velocity, controlling the arm motion on the push phase during freestyle has great potential for almost every swimmer. Unfortunately, it is a substantial challenge to independently push the hand backward while the torso rotates upward.
036 PLAN B: COLLEGE CLUB TEAM OPTION (Part 1)
by Michael J. Stott
College Club Swimming has been offering more and more athletes the opportunity to continue participating in the sport they love. In this two-part series, Swimming World explores some personal perspectives from swimmers pursuing their aquatic passion while enjoying a college experience unencumbered by the demands of a varsity athlete.
041 SPECIAL SETS: BREASTSTROKE REVISITED
by Michael J. Stott
John Smithson, co-head coach at Quest Swimming in Richmond, Va., has coached multiple Olympic Trials qualifiers, state record holders and state champions. Last March, two of his 14-year-old swimmers took home wins in the 100 yard breaststroke at the Virginia State Short Course Championships. Here he talks about some of the breaststroke sets that have contributed to his team’s success.
043 Q&A WITH COACH KEVIN ZACHER
by Michael J. Stott
044 HOW THEY TRAIN ASHLEY STROUSE
by Michael J. Stott
TRAINING
013 DRYSIDE TRAINING: EXERCISE EQUIPMENT SERIES—MEDICINE BALL AND CABLE EXERCISES
by J.R. Rosania
JUNIOR SWIMMER
039 GOLDMINDS: THE 5 SUPERPOWERS OF PERFORMANCE
by Wayne Goldsmith
Passion, persistence, practice, patience and peace are all within your grasp!
046 UP & COMERS: KAYLA HAN
by Taylor Brien
COLUMNS
008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT
009 BEYOND THE YARDS
033 DID YOU KNOW? USA-USSR DUAL MEETS
047 GUTTER TALK
048 PARTING SHOT
Theresa Alshammar must be considered a legend of Swedish swimming, right?