Encore! Marrit Steenbergen Goes Sub-52 for Second Time in a Week in 100 Freestyle
It’s been quite the Mare Nostrum Series for Dutch star Marrit Steenbergen, who opened the tour in Monaco with a national record of 52.13 in the 100-meter freestyle. From there, the 26-year-old moved to the second leg in Canet, where she joined the sub-52 club with a blistering mark of 51.86, the No. 2 performance in history and not far off the longstanding world record of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (51.71).
On Saturday, Steenbergen continued her Mare Nostrum tear with another trip into 51-second territory, this time prevailing at the Barcelona stop in 51.97. Out in 25.09 for her opening 50 meters, Steenbergen came home with a split of 26.88. With her performance, Steenbergen became the first woman to break the 52-second barrier on a pair of occasions. The club also includes Sjostrom, American Anna Moesch (51.94) and Australian Emma McKeon (51.96). Moesch delivered her effort at last week’s AP Race London International.
In the final in Barcelona, Steenbergen finished ahead of Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey, who posted a time of 52.53. Haughey is a two-time Olympic medalist in the event and was followed to the wall by the Netherlands’ Milou van Wijk (53.85).
A two-time world champion (2024/2025) in the 100 freestyle, Steenbergen will be the heavy favorite to secure gold at this summer’s European Championships in Paris. The bigger target, however, will be the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which are just more than two years away. At the 2024 Games in Paris, Steenbergen was seventh in the final of the 100 freestyle, but has since taken major steps forward in the discipline.
Steenbergen is scheduled to return to the blocks on Sunday for the 100 backstroke, an event in which she has been sub-59 during her career. Given her current form, a personal best seems within reach.
