SwimSwam Pulse: Steenbergen Edges Moesch As Favourite To Break 100 Free World Record First

SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring characteristic monitoring and analyzing the outcomes of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can solid your vote in our latest ballot on the SwimSwam homepage, about midway down the web page on the precise facet.

Our most up-to-date ballot requested SwimSwam readers which swimmer they consider would be the one to take down Sarah Sjostrom‘s longstanding 100 free world file:

Question: Who would be the first lady to interrupt Sarah Sjostrom‘s 100 free world file of 51.71?

RESULTS

The swimming stratosphere was shaken final week when, after we had solely seen two sub-52 performances within the historical past of the ladies’s 100 freestyle, three extra got here down in speedy vogue.

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom made historical past on the 2017 World Championships when she turned the primary lady sub-52 in a time of 51.71, and within the 9 years since then, the one different swim beneath 52 seconds we’ve seen was the 51.96 produced by Australian Emma McKeon en path to successful Tokyo Olympic gold in 2021.

On Monday, May 25, Anna Moesch dropped a shocking time of 51.94 within the 100 free on the AP Race London International, breaking Simone Manuel‘s seven-year-old American Record (52.04) and changing into the second-fastest performer of all-time behind Sjostrom.

Two days later, on the Mare Nostrum Tour cease in Canet, Dutch star Marrit Steenbergen, the reigning two-time world champion within the occasion, promptly responded to Moesch, blasting her technique to a time of 51.86, taking up the #2 spot on the all-time performers’ listing.

After Steenbergen’s swim, we put out the ballot: Who would be the one to interrupt Sjostrom’s file?

Leading the best way with 37.2% of votes was Steenbergen, who might have had a bonus on condition that she was going to get one other alternative to swim the occasion briefly order on the ultimate leg of the Mare Nostrum Tour in Barcelona.

The 26-year-old didn’t fairly break the file, however did produce historical past’s fifth swim beneath 52 seconds in 51.97, making her the primary to take action a number of occasions.

All-Time Performances, Women’s 100 Freestyle (LCM)

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 51.71 – 2017
2. Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 51.86 – 2026
3. Anna Moesch (USA), 51.94 – 2026
4. Emma McKeon (AUS), 51.96 – 2021
5. Marrit Steenbergen (NED), 51.97 – 2026

Moesch, who extremely has by no means gone 52-point within the 100 free, having left out the 52s when she lowered her finest time from 53.25 (53.23 within the London prelims) to 51.94, intently trailed within the ballot with 35.3% of votes.

Having each gone sub-52 presumably with out absolutely tapering, Steenbergen and Moesch each have probability of taking out Sjostrom’s file this summer season. Steenbergen will probably be concentrating on the European Championships in August, whereas Moesch gained’t characterize the U.S. on the Pan Pacific Championships because the crew was chosen final yr, so she’ll be aiming for the U.S. National Championships, scheduled for July 28 to August 1.

That timeline provides Moesch the benefit by way of swimming her summer season championship meet first by a number of weeks, permitting her to take the primary rack on the 100 free world file earlier than Steenbergen.

Ranking third within the ballot, and the one different swimmer incomes greater than 4% of votes at 11.8%, was Mollie O’Callaghan, the previous world file holder within the 200 free who gained back-to-back 100 free world titles in 2022 and 2023.

O’Callaghan owns a finest time of 52.08, set in 2023, and although she hasn’t been beneath 52.5 because the Paris Olympics, she did clock 52.66 on the Australian Open in April, which is quicker than she was all through all of 2025.

That signifies she’s on good type heading into subsequent week’s Australian Swimming Trials, the place each the 100 and 200 free world information may very well be in her sights.

Siobhan Haughey (52.36) and Meg Harris (52.56) sit third and 4th on the earth rankings this season behind Steenbergen and Moesch, although they solely picked up 2.2% and 1.6% of votes, respectively. Haughey can be the fifth-fastest performer in historical past along with her finest time of 52.02.

Americans Torri Huske, Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass had been additionally featured within the ballot and earned between 2.5% and three.7% of votes. All three probably gained’t swim absolutely tapered till Pan Pacs, and regardless of Huske proudly owning the quickest PB among the many three and being the reigning Olympic silver medalist, she earned fewer votes than Walsh and Douglass.

Sjostrom was not featured within the ballot because the expectation is that she’s specializing in the 50 free and 50 fly occasions this yr in her return to competitors after giving start final yr. She was not too long ago named to Sweden’s European Championship roster.

Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks: Will any ladies go sub-57 within the 100 again or sub-1:04 within the 100 breast in 2026?

ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE

A3 Performance is an independently-owned, efficiency swimwear firm constructed on a ardour for swimming, athletes, and athletic efficiency. We encourage swimmers to swim higher and quicker in any respect ages and ranges, from novices to Olympians.  Driven by a real chief and devoted workers which can be enthusiastic about swimming and repair, A3 Performance strives to encourage and enrich the game of swimming with revolutionary and impactful merchandise that encourage swimmers to be their highest – an A3 Performer.

The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam accomplice.