Sarah Sjostrom's 100m freestyle world record is on shaky ground after Marrit Steenbergen and Anna Moesch achieved sub-52 times. On May 28, Moesch clocked 51.94 seconds at the AP Race London International.
What happened?
Marrit Steenbergen bettered Moesch's mark with a 51.86 time at the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum series on Wednesday.
Why it matters for Sarah Sjostrom
Sjostrom's world record of 51.71, set at the 2017 world championships in Budapest, is now under threat.
What comes next?
Sjostrom, 32, has focused on the 50m freestyle and butterfly since returning to competition last month. She will compete at the European championships in Paris in July-August.
Sjostrom went on maternity leave after the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she finished seventh in the 100m final. Steenbergen has been setting standards since then, defending her world title in Singapore last year.
Moesch's rise may be a game-changer for US swimming, which has been foiled by Australia's women in the Olympic 4x100 relays. The Americans were runners-up at Paris, with Australia winning a fourth successive gold medal.
Australia's women will compete at national trials next month for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, starting on July 23. Sjostrom will look to regain her form ahead of the European championships.
Moesch swam a heat in the 100 relay at last year's world championships but was dropped for the final. She adds another weapon to a formidable US program boasting Kate Douglass and Torri Huske.
Sjostrom's return to competition has been gradual, with a focus on the 50m freestyle and butterfly. She will look to build towards the European championships in the coming weeks.
The sub-52 club is growing, with Steenbergen and Moesch joining Sjostrom as the only swimmers to achieve this feat. Sjostrom's world record is now under threat, and she will need to regain her form to remain at the top.
Steenbergen's time of 51.86 is the second-fastest ever, behind only Sjostrom's world record. Moesch's time of 51.94 is the third-fastest ever, making her a serious contender for the European championships.
Sjostrom's focus on the 50m freestyle and butterfly may be a strategic move ahead of the European championships. She will look to build towards the championships in the coming weeks, with a focus on regaining her form in the 100m freestyle.
The European championships will be a key test for Sjostrom, with Steenbergen and Moesch posing a significant threat to her world record. Sjostrom will need to be at her best to remain at the top of the sport.