In Rio de Janeiro 2016, Sarah Sjöström won three individual medals: one gold, one silver and one bronze.
In Tokyo 2021, there will be a maximum of one. After she finished seventh on Monday 100 meters butterfly she finished last night fifth in the 100 meters freestyle.
– I did exactly what I was supposed to do. I knew that it is not possible to influence what the others do. I’m glad I’m following the plan. This time it is not enough, she tells Discovery.
Approached in the second half
Sjöström, who broke his right elbow in February, was a bit behind at the start and turned as the eighth and last swimmer. In the second half, she approached the lead, but did not get further up than in fifth place.
Sjöström’s time, 52.68, however, was the best she did in 100 freestyle in the Olympics. She was 16 percent behind Cate Campbell who took the bronze.
– It is fantastic! I am super happy with how well I did it, very happy, says Sjöström, and claims that she did not have any medal thoughts before the Olympics:
– I would not say that for the past two months I have been thinking that I will win a medal at the Olympics. It has felt very, very far away. I thought it would be harder here than it was. That I still come fifth at the Olympics in the “Formula 1 branch” feels completely secret.
– It really feels incredibly good. The time I did now is almost half a second faster than I did in Rio, and then I finished third. The level has been raised incredibly.
Two distances remain
Campbell’s Australian compatriot Emma McKeon took the gold at 51.96 – 31 percent ahead of Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, Hong Kong.
Now there are two distances left for Sjöström at this Olympics: 50 meters freestyle and 4×100 meters medley.
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