Swimming Worlds: Five-star Sarah Sjoestroem sets Worlds alight

FUKUOKA (Japan), July 29

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Sarah Sjoestroem cruised to her fifth consecutive World Aquatics Championships title in the women’s 50 metres butterfly event today, before the evergreen Swede broke the world record in the semifinals of the 50m freestyle race.

The 29-year-old finished the day’s opening event in 24.77 seconds to deny China’s Zhang Yufei, who was 0.28 seconds behind while Gretchen Walsh of the United States took bronze.

Sjoestroem also went level with American great Michael Phelps on 20 individual medals at the Worlds.

Sjoestroem then produced a superb effort of 23.61 seconds in the freestyle 20 minutes later to eclipse her own mark of 23.67 seconds which she had set in the 2017 worlds in Budapest.

American Katie Ledecky showed was the quickest in the women’s 800m to retain her title and bag a 21st Worlds gold overall. — Reuters