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WR: Sjostrom Slides To 56.06 100 'Fly

Jul 27, 2009  - Craig Lord

Rome 2009, Day 2:

Women's 100m Butterfly Final

Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) shattered the world record with a 56.06 ahead of six other women who raced inside 57sec. More detail shortly. The 15-year-old raced 0.24sec faster than the time in which Mark Spitz set his first world record in the 100m butterfly.

The silver went to Jess Schipper (AUS) in 56.23 and the bronze to Jiao Liuyang (CHN) in 56.86. Gabriela Silva of Brazil went through first in 26.41, 0.13sec faster than the time in which Inge de Bruijn (NED) held the world straight 50m record back in 1999. Silva came home in 56.94, compared to a 58.00 best tim in 2008 and 1:00.47 in 2007. 

"I don't know what is happening right now. It's unbelievable," said the champ. "This is my best year but I have many years in front of me. I can do better." A better result would mean gold in London 2012, a better time something that can be compared with the textile that will soon no longer be alien to young Sjostrom.

The Rome final will go down as a moment that confirmed a terrible truth: swimming as an equipment-based sport is a circus that has made the sport the laughing stock of world sport.

The result sheet of a race that placed every entrant into the all-time top 10:

  • Sjostrom (SWE) 56.06 arena X-Glide
  • Schipper (AUS) 56.23 adidas Hydrofoil
  • Jiao (CHN) 56.86 Speedo LZR
  • Mongel (FRA) 56.89
  • Silva (BRA) 56.94 
  • Vollmer (USA) 56.94
  • Snildal (NOR) 56.96
  • Veldhuis (NED) 57.79


Now for the Dark Ages: Libby Lenton's 57.15 win in Melbourne 2007 would have finished last. The 57.93 of legendary Mary T Meagher (USA), world record holder between 1981 and 1999, started 2008 at No12 (all time performer) and No49 (performance, multiple entries). Just 18 months into suit wars: 33rd best performer, 121st best performance.

Melbourne 2007:
  • Final: 57.15 - 59.22
  • Inside 57: 0
  • Inside 58: 2
  • Inside 59: 7
  • Inside 60: 8 
Rome 2009:
  • Final: 56.06 -
  • Inside 57: 7
  • Inside 58: 8

The all-time top 10:

  • 56.44 Sjostrom SWE
  • 56.61 de Bruijn NED
  • 56.69 Veldhuis NED 
  • 56.73 Trickett AUS
  • 57.15 Schipper AUS
  • 57.08 Magnuson USA
  • 57.15 Vollmer USA
  • 57.16 Jiao CHN (2008: 59.49)
  • 57.20 Moravcova SVK
  • 57.20 Snildal NOR (2008: 59.86)
  • 25th: 57.67
  • 50th: 58.52
  • 100th: 59.06

And coming out of Melbourne 2007:

  • 56.61 de Bruijn NED
  • 57.15 Trickett AUS
  • 57.15 Schipper AUS
  • 57.20 Moravcova SVK
  • 57.34 Coughlin USA
  • 57.36 Thomas AUS
  • 57.58 Torres USA
  • 57.59 Thompson USA
  • 57.79 Komisarz USA
  • 57.82 Dekker NED
  • 25th: 58.71
  • 50th: 59.09
  • 100th: 59.78