NANTERRE, France—Sarah Sjöström pulled off her goggles, took a quick glance up at the scoreboard and released every emotion. She pounded the water in triumph, sat up on the lane line and raised her chin and arms high.
The vaunted Swedish sprint swimmer hopped out of the pool, waved, then covered her face, overcome that she had won the 100-meter freestyle Wednesday night.
Sjöström began her decorated Olympic career at age 15 in Beijing, and now she’s an Olympic champion again at 30 in Paris.
Pretty impressive for someone who didn’t even want to swim the 100, an event in which 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 straightaway, I was like, ‘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.’”
It’s her second career gold medal in her fifth Olympics.
Sjöström touched the wall in 52.16 seconds, edging American silver medalist Torri Huske, who finished at 52.29, while Siobhan Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong took bronze in 52.33.
“I think my reaction said everything,” Sjöström said. “I didn’t really know where I was exactly when I finished. It took a while, it took a few seconds before I saw that I won. I just felt like I had a really good race and I was so in my zone, 100% focused on all the details that I’ve been working with.”
Her coaches talked her into giving the 100 free a try at the start of the swimming competition last weekend.
Did she argue?
“Yeah, of course I did,” she said, grinning.
Sjöström had figured she would focus on the 50 free in Paris. Of course, she’s thrilled to have changed her mind — or had it changed for her.
She trailed 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.”
A five-time Olympian who owns three current world records — the 50 butterfly and 100 and 50 frees — she was the 100 fly champion in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago.
“I have seven silver medals at the world champs and the bronze medal at the Olympics 2016,” Sjöström said. “So that says a lot. I have no more words.”
Taking her victory lap around La Defense Arena, Sjöström at one point lifted the Swedish flag into the air and she repeatedly stopped for selfies with fans.
And now she will have a few days to rest and refocus on her 50 free, which happens Sunday in the final day of swimming at these Games.
It’s the race she knows best, her comfort zone.
“That’s always been my challenge when it comes to the 100 free, because I really need to focus on the breathing pattern,” Sjöström said. “When I do the 50 free there is no problem, so I just put my head down and I spin my arm and I swim fast.”
By Janie McCauley