On the second day of competition at the Golden Lanes Invitational in Amiens, France Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden posted not one, but two world’s number one ranked time. Yesterday in the the 100 butterfly Sjostrom recorded a time of 56.53 to take over the number one position in the world and then went on to out do herself today by posting the world’s top times in the 50 butterfly and 200 freestyle.
Sjostrom won the women’s 50 butterfly in a time of 25.53 knocking World Champion Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark, who posted a 25.62, off of the top spot in the world rankings. Sjostrom also beat her previous lifetime best of 25.64 that she had recorded in 2012.
In her second event of the evening Sjostrom won the women’s 200 freestyle in a time of 1:55.50. Her time betters her season’s best of 1:55.76, which stood as the world’s number one ranked time when the day began. Her time is just off her lifetime best of 1:55.23, which she posted in 2012.
Sjostrom was not the only women to have a stellar 200 freestyle, the next three competitors also recorded times that rank in the world’s top ten. Femke Heemskerk of the Netherland posted a 1:57.08 which ranks third, Michelle Coleman of Sweden hit the wall in a time of 1:57.67 which ranks eighth while Camille Muffat of France finished just outside of the medals recording a time of 1:57.87 which ranks 10th.
Melanie Henique of France also put up a world’s top ten time, finishing second in a time of 26.32, which puts her in the sixth spot in the world rankings.
Katinka Hosszu has also had a busy day. Less then a half an hour after winning the women’s 1500 freestyle, Hosszu proceeded to take the women’s 100 backstroke in a time of 59.98, which currently ranks second in the world. The only athlete to swim faster than Hosszu this year is Australian Emily Seebohm who recorded a time of 59.80 at the New South Whales Championships earlier this month.
The time for Hosszu is only 58 one-hundredths of a second off her lifetime best and Hungarian national record of 59.40 that she posted in the prelims of the World Championships last summer. In Barcelona her time had put her second to American Missy Franklin going into the semi-finals in Barcelona, but she made the decision to scratch the event as the women’s 200 IM final was swum later that evening, an event that she would go on to win.
Michelle Coleman of Sweden finished second to Hosszu in a time of 1:00.58. It was a great swim for Coleman who posted a time that currently ranks her eighth in the world, taking over that spot from Canadian Kevyn Peterson who had recorded a 1:00.63 earlier this year.
Hosszu also went on to win the women’s 400 IM posting a time of 4:39.82. She was followed by Hungarian teammate Evelyn Verraszto who finished second in a time of 4:43.60.
Hosszu won the 1500 freestyle in a time of 16:51.06.
David Verraszto of Hungary won the men’s 400 IM in a time of 4:17.45, which ranks in the world’s top 10, but does not beat his season’s best of 4:16.03, which currently ranks fourth.
Frenchman Jeremy Stravius collected his third and fourth gold of the competition winning the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 54.46 and the men’s 50 butterfly in a time of 24.24. For Stravius both times were season’s best, but rank outside of the world’s top 10.
The Swedes took both the women’s and men’s 200 breaststroke. Jessica Eriksson won the women’s event in a time of 2:33.61 while Erik Persson won the men’s event in a time of 2:14.52.
Frenchmen Joris Bouchaut and Axel Reymond battled for the victory in the men’s 800 freestyle. Bouchaut eventually took the event in a time of 8:06.68 followed by Reymond who posted a 8:06.74.
Kyle Stolk of the Netherlands took the men’s 200 freestyle in a time of 1:50.22.
Sarah Sjostrom was excellent on Sunday too 4:06.0 and then 53.6…not a bad double!
Some big names in Amiens.
After Nice, it’s cool to see world-class swimmers come in France.
A little better for Muffat.
A disappointing Charlotte Bonnet in the 200 free. It looks like she’s gonna be very quickly our best breaststroker. 🙁
Sjöström as fast as usual in-season. Even though, she swims impressive times.
An average Stravius. He keeps the best for the French championships next month. He works really hard butterfly in training since Barcelona.
And what about Hosszu? 🙄
Winning 1500, and then winning 100 back in sub 1:00 and then proceeded to take 400 IM in 4:39.
I am convinced now that she is a robot swimmer.
Sjoestroem was 56.53 in the 100m ‘Fly yesterday, not 57.42. Surely she will take back the World Record in the next couple of years? Vollmer’s time is looking very much within range of Sjoestroem, this year possibly.
I don’t doubt that sjoestrom has the talent to break vollmer’s 100 fly WR sometime in the future.
But we must temper our enthusiasm. Sjoestrom has always swum extremely fast in season. Her previous 100 free pb of 53:05 was swum in December 2011. She swam a 53.28 in march 2012, which she could not replicate in the Olympics. Her 200 free pb of 1:55.23 was also swum in march 2012.
I am stunned by Hosszu, I know I should have gotten used to it, but her swimming all those events in one day, all in great times, leave me speechless.
If only Dana Vollmer didn’t have a bad touch in London.
She could have swum 55.50 in my opinion.
Sjoestroem was ill in the run-up to both Shanghai and London (2011/2012). In 2013, with a clean run in, she dropped time. In 2008 she dropped time to win Europeans, in 2009 she dropped time to win Worlds, in 2010 she dropped time to win Europeans and her fastest 100m fly time of 2011 was set in Shanghai (compared to her in-season times). So, counting out the interrupted run up to London, Sarah does typically drop time at her ‘big meet’. Nine of Sjoestroems top 10 100m fly times were set at Worlds or Olympics. She is a fast in-season swimmer, but she has also proven herself able to drop large amounts of time when the time comes (1.8secs in… Read more »
pretty impressive 200 women’s results! that event was loaded.