Sarah Sjöström facts for kids

Sarah Fredrika Sjöström, born on August 17, 1993, is an amazing Swedish swimmer. She is known for her speed in freestyle and butterfly races. Many people consider her one of the greatest swimmers ever!

Sarah has won many medals throughout her career. She has earned 23 individual medals at World Championships, which is more than any other swimmer. She was also the first woman to win five individual medals at one World Championship event in 2019. By 2022, she had won a total of 28 medals at European Championships, setting a new record. She also has an incredible 112 medals from Swimming World Cups!

Sarah holds current world records in the 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, and 50-meter butterfly (in long course pools). She was the first Swedish woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. She competed in five Olympic Games, from Beijing 2008 to Paris 2024. She has won six Olympic medals: three gold, two silver, and one bronze.

Quick facts for kids
Sarah Sjöström

Sjöström in Haninge, Sweden, in August 2013
Personal information
Born	(1993-08-17) 17 August 1993 (age 32) Salem, Sweden
Height	1.82 m
Weight	76 kg
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Butterfly, freestyle, backstroke
Club	Energy Standard, Södertörns SS
Coach	Johan Wallberg
Medal record Women's swimming Representing  Sweden Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 3 2 1 World Championships (LC) 14 8 3 World Championships (SC) 6 4 1 European Championships (LC) 17 7 4 European Short Course Swimming Championships|European Championships (SC) 12 13 1 Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m butterfly Gold 2024 Paris 50 m freestyle Gold 2024 Paris 100 m freestyle Silver 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m freestyle Silver 2020 Tokyo 50 m freestyle Bronze 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m freestyle World Championships (LC) Gold 2009 Rome 100 m butterfly Gold 2013 Barcelona 100 m butterfly Gold 2015 Kazan 50 m butterfly Gold 2015 Kazan 100 m butterfly Gold 2017 Budapest 50 m freestyle Gold 2017 Budapest 50 m butterfly Gold 2017 Budapest 100 m butterfly Gold 2019 Gwangju 50 m butterfly Gold 2022 Budapest 50 m freestyle Gold 2022 Budapest 50 m butterfly Gold 2023 Fukuoka 50 m freestyle Gold 2023 Fukuoka 50 m butterfly Gold 2024 Doha 50 m freestyle Gold 2024 Doha 50 m butterfly Silver 2013 Barcelona 100 m freestyle Silver 2015 Kazan 100 m freestyle Silver 2015 Kazan 4×100 m medley Silver 2017 Budapest 100 m freestyle Silver 2019 Gwangju 50 m freestyle Silver 2019 Gwangju 100 m butterfly Silver 2022 Budapest 100 m freestyle Silver 2024 Doha 4×100 m medley Bronze 2015 Kazan 50 m freestyle Bronze 2019 Gwangju 100 m freestyle Bronze 2019 Gwangju 200 m freestyle World Championships (SC) Gold 2014 Doha 200 m freestyle Gold 2014 Doha 50 m butterfly Gold 2014 Doha 100 m butterfly Gold 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×50 m medley Gold 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×100 m medley Gold 2021 Abu Dhabi 50 m freestyle Silver 2014 Doha 100 m freestyle Silver 2021 Abu Dhabi 100 m freestyle Silver 2021 Abu Dhabi 50 m butterfly Silver 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×50 m freestyle Bronze 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×100 m freestyle European Championships (LC) Gold 2008 Eindhoven 100 m butterfly Gold 2010 Budapest 100 m butterfly Gold 2012 Debrecen 100 m freestyle Gold 2012 Debrecen 50 m butterfly Gold 2014 Berlin 100 m freestyle Gold 2014 Berlin 50 m butterfly Gold 2014 Berlin 4×100 m freestyle Gold 2016 London 100 m freestyle Gold 2016 London 50 m butterfly Gold 2016 London 100 m butterfly Gold 2018 Glasgow 50 m freestyle Gold 2018 Glasgow 100 m freestyle Gold 2018 Glasgow 50 m butterfly Gold 2018 Glasgow 100 m butterfly Gold 2022 Rome 50 m butterfly Gold 2022 Rome 50 m freestyle Gold 2022 Rome 4×100 m medley Silver 2010 Budapest 4×100 m medley Silver 2012 Debrecen 4×100 m freestyle Silver 2014 Berlin 50 m freestyle Silver 2014 Berlin 100 m butterfly Silver 2014 Berlin 4×200 m freestyle Silver 2014 Berlin 4×100 m medley Silver 2022 Rome 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2008 Eindhoven 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2010 Budapest 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2016 London 4×100 m freestyle Bronze 2022 Rome 4×100 m mixed freestyle European Championships (SC) Gold 2013 Herning 50 m butterfly Gold 2013 Herning 100 m butterfly Gold 2015 Netanya 100 m freestyle Gold 2015 Netanya 50 m butterfly Gold 2015 Netanya 100 m butterfly Gold 2017 Copenhagen 100 m butterfly Gold 2017 Copenhagen 50 m freestyle Gold 2017 Copenhagen 4×50 m medley Gold 2021 Kazan 50 m freestyle Gold 2021 Kazan 100 m freestyle Gold 2021 Kazan 100 m butterfly Gold 2021 Kazan 50 m butterfly Silver 2008 Rijeka 4×50 m freestyle Silver 2009 Istanbul 4×50 m freestyle Silver 2009 Istanbul 4×50 m medley Silver 2013 Herning 50 m freestyle Silver 2013 Herning 100 m freestyle Silver 2013 Herning 4×50 m freestyle Silver 2013 Herning 4×50 m medley Silver 2015 Netanya 50 m freestyle Silver 2015 Netanya 4×50 m medley Silver 2017 Copenhagen 100 m freestyle Silver 2017 Copenhagen 100 m medley Silver 2017 Copenhagen 4×50 m freestyle Silver 2021 Kazan 4×50 m medley Bronze 2021 Kazan 100 m medley

Sarah Sjöström's Swimming Journey

Early Career and First Gold Medals (2008–2009)

Sarah started making waves in swimming at a very young age. In March 2008, when she was just 14, she won a gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in the Netherlands. She even set a new Swedish record!

Later that year, Sarah competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. She was one of the youngest swimmers there.

In July 2009, at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, Sarah set a new world record in the 100-meter butterfly. She won the gold medal and broke her own record the very next day!

Continuing Success and More Records (2010–2014)

Sarah kept winning at the 2010 European Aquatics Championships in Hungary, defending her 100-meter butterfly title. She also helped her team win bronze and silver medals in relays.

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in China, she placed fourth in several events, showing her consistent performance.

In 2012, Sarah earned two gold medals at the 2012 European Aquatics Championships. She then competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, where she placed fourth in the 100-meter butterfly.

In 2013, at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Spain, Sarah won another gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly. She also took home a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle. Later that year, she won multiple medals at the European Short Course Championships.

A big moment came in July 2014 when Sarah broke the world record in the 50-meter butterfly. She lowered the record by a huge amount! At the 2014 European Aquatics Championships that summer, she won three gold and four silver medals. In December 2014, at the World Short Course Championships, she won three gold medals and set two new world records.

Olympic Glory and World Dominance (2015–2019)

In 2015, Sarah won five medals at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. She won gold in both the 50-meter and 100-meter butterfly events, breaking the 100-meter world record twice! She became the first Swedish swimmer to win two gold medals at a single World Championships.

She continued her winning streak at the 2015 European Short Course Swimming Championships, earning multiple gold and silver medals. She was named "Swimmer of the Year in Europe" and received the prestigious Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal.

In May 2016, at the 2016 European Aquatics Championships, Sarah won three more gold medals.

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, were historic for Sarah. She won the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, setting a new world record! This made her the first Swedish woman to win an Olympic swimming gold. She also won a silver medal in the 200-meter freestyle and a bronze in the 100-meter freestyle.

At the 2017 World Aquatics Championships, Sarah won three gold medals and one silver. She set a new world record in the 100-meter freestyle and another in the 50-meter freestyle. She became the first woman to win four gold medals in one individual event at the World Championships.

In 2017, she also broke six world records in less than a month at the Swimming World Cup events. She became the swimmer holding the most current world records.

At the 2018 European Aquatics Championships, Sarah won four gold medals, showing her continued dominance.

In 2019, at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships, Sarah won five medals, more than any other woman in individual events. She earned a gold, two silvers, and two bronzes. She was named FINA female swimmer of the meet for the second time.

She also became a co-captain for the Energy Standard Swim Club in the International Swimming League (ISL) in 2019. Her team won the overall title, and Sarah was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Overcoming Challenges and More Triumphs (2020–2022)

In 2020, Sarah faced a challenge when she broke her elbow. Despite this, she returned to competitive swimming and competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (held in 2021). She won a silver medal in the 50-meter freestyle, a truly inspiring comeback. She received the "Olympic Resilience Award" for her determination.

At the 2021 European Short Course Swimming Championships, Sarah won four gold medals, a silver, and a bronze.

In the 2021 International Swimming League, Sarah made history by becoming the first swimmer to achieve over 1000 MVP points. She was the top-earning athlete that season.

At the 2021 World Short Course Championships, she won two gold medals, three silver medals, and one bronze. She helped set a world record in the 4x50-meter medley relay.

In June 2022, at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships, Sarah won a silver medal in the 100-meter freestyle. The next day, she won gold in the 50-meter butterfly, her fourth consecutive gold in that event. She also won gold in the 50-meter freestyle, making her the first European swimmer to win 10 individual World Championships gold medals.

At the 2022 European Aquatics Championships in August, Sarah won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal. She set a new record for the most medals won by any female swimmer at the European Championships, increasing her total to 28.

Continued Record-Breaking (2023–2024)

In April 2023, Sarah swam the fastest 50-meter freestyle time in the world for that year.

At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Sarah won two more gold medals. She broke her own world record in the 50-meter freestyle during the semifinals. With these wins, she tied and then surpassed Michael Phelps for the most individual World Aquatics Championship medals in history, reaching 21 medals!

In February 2024, at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, Sarah won gold in both the 50-meter freestyle and the 50-meter butterfly. This was her sixth consecutive gold medal in the 50-meter butterfly at the World Championships.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Sarah focused on shorter distances. She won gold in the 100-meter freestyle, a distance where she held the world record but had never won Olympic gold before. She then won another gold medal in the 50-meter freestyle. She also helped her Swedish teammates to a 5th place finish in the 4x100m freestyle relay and a 7th place finish in the 4x100m medley relay.

Personal Bests

Long course (50 m)

WR award in Kazan 2015

Event	Time		Date	Meet	Location	Ref
50 m freestyle	23.61	sf	30 Jul 2023	World Championships	Fukuoka, Japan
100 m freestyle	51.71	r	23 Jul 2017	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary
200 m freestyle	1:54.08		9 Aug 2016	2016 Summer Olympics	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
400 m freestyle	4:06.04		16 Mar 2014	Golden Lanes (in French)	Amiens, France
50 m backstroke	27.80		30 Jun 2017	Swedish Championships	Borås, Sweden
100 m backstroke	59.98		5 Apr 2015	Swim Cup (in Dutch)	Eindhoven, Netherlands
50 m butterfly	24.43		5 July 2014	Swedish Championships	Borås, Sweden
100 m butterfly	55.48		7 Aug 2016	Summer Olympic	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Short course (25 m)

Event	Time		Date	Meet	Location	Ref
50 m freestyle	23.00		7 Aug 2017	World Cup	Berlin, Germany
100 m freestyle	50.58		11 Aug 2017	World Cup	Eindhoven, Netherlands
200 m freestyle	1:50.43		12 Aug 2017	World Cup	Eindhoven, Netherlands
400 m freestyle	4:02.33		20 Nov 2014	Swedish SC Championships	Stockholm, Sweden
100 m backstroke	58.83		7 Nov 2010	World Cup	Stockholm, Sweden
50 m butterfly	24.50		7 Nov 2021	European SC Championships	Kazan, Russia
100 m butterfly	54.61		6 Dec 2014	World SC Championships	Doha, Qatar
200 m butterfly	2:04.23		21 Nov 2014	Swedish SC Championships	Stockholm, Sweden
100 m individual medley	57.10		2 Aug 2017	World Cup	Moscow, Russia
200 m individual medley	2:08.17		27 Jan 2012	Swedish Jr SC Championships	Stockholm, Sweden

World Records (50 m)

Legend: sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg

World Records (25 m)

Legend: = – tied pre-existing world record

International Finals (50 m) - Individual Events

International Finals (25 m) - Individual Events

Swimming World Cup Medals

Sarah has won many medals at the Swimming World Cup events:

Awards and Recognitions

Sarah Sjöström has received many special awards for her amazing swimming:

• Swedish Jerring Award: 2014 & 2015
• Victoria Award: 2015
• Female European Swimmer of the Year, by Swimming World Magazine: 2015, 2017, 2021 & 2022
• Swedish Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal: 2015 & 2017
• Female World Swimmer of the Year, by Swimming World Magazine: 2017
• Best Female Athlete from Europe, by Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC): 2017
• Female European Swimmer of the Year, Swammy Award by SwimSwam: 2017, 2018 & 2021
• MVP (season) in International Swimming League: 2019 & 2021
• Olympic Resilience Award, by Swimming World: 2021
• MVP in International Swimming League Final: 2021
• Female International Swimming League Swimmer of the Year, by Swimming World Magazine: 2021
• Best Female Swimmer, by Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN): 2021

Personal Life

In January 2022, Sarah Sjöström announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Swedish fencer Johan de Jong Skierus. They had been together for ten years.

On August 27, 2025, Sarah and Johan welcomed their first son.

See also

In Spanish: Sarah Sjöström para niños

• World record progression 50 metres freestyle
• World record progression 100 metres freestyle
• World record progression 200 metres freestyle
• World record progression 50 metres butterfly
• World record progression 100 metres butterfly
• List of individual gold medalists in swimming at the Olympics and World Aquatics Championships (women)
• List of Olympic medalists in swimming (women)
• List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming (women)
• List of World Swimming Championships (25 m) medalists (women)