Marrit Steenbergen Scares World Record in 100 Freestyle at Canet Stop of Mare Nostrum Series
Just two days after Anna Moesch set an American record in the 100-meter freestyle to become the No. 2 performer in history, the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen joined the 51-second club by blasting a mark of 51.86 on the first day of the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum Series. By winning the event in France, Steenbergen wasn’t far off the world record of 51.71, set in 2017 by Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom.
On Monday, Moesch clocked 51.94 at the AP Race London International to break Simone Manuel’s American record of 52.04, which had stood since 2019. Steenbergen was slightly quicker in Canet, as she opened with 24.91 split and came home in 26.95. She is now just one of four women to break the 52-second barrier in the 100 freestyle, with Australia’s Emma McKeon (51.96) the fourth member of the exclusive group.
A two-time world champion in the 100 freestyle, Steenbergen has been consistently superb in the event this year, highlighted by a 52.13 mark at the Mare Nostrum leg in Monaco. Now, she is within .15 of the world record, a standard that is undoubtedly under assault based on the recent performances of Moesch and Steenbergen.
Last summer, Steenbergen claimed the gold medal in the 100 freestyle at the World Championships in Singapore, where she recorded a time of 52.55. Steenbergen’s main competition this summer will be the European Championships in Paris.
