Will Mollie O’Callaghan Be Next Star to Join 51 Club in 100 Freestyle?
The dynamic of an event can shift quickly, sometimes in a matter of days. Want an example? Look no further than the hierarchy of the women’s 100-meter freestyle, which offered up a pair of sensational performances in late May. In less than a week, the United States’ Anna Moesch (51.94) and the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen (51.86/51.97) doubled the number of women who have eclipsed the 52-second barrier in the event.
Prior to what Moesch pulled off at the AP Race London and what Steenbergen delivered during the Mare Nostrum Series, only Sarah Sjostrom (2017) and Emma McKeon (2021) had gone sub-52. For several years, the event felt stagnant, a clocking of 52.55 enough for gold at last year’s World Championships in Singapore. Now, there is hoopla surrounding the 100 freestyle, and that hype could grow in the week ahead.
In Sydney this week, the Australian Selection Trials for the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships will be conducted. A main storyline from Down Under will surround the 100 freestyle and whether a third athlete will clock sub-52 this year. The leading candidate is undoubtedly Mollie O’Callaghan, the 22-year-old veteran of international competition. While O’Callaghan is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200 freestyle, the Aussie is a two-time world champ in the 100 freestyle (2022/2023), and was the silver medalist in the event last year.
Known for her back-end speed, O’Callaghan boasts a career best of 52.08 in the 100 freestyle, so she has knocked on the door to 51-second territory in the past. Perhaps this week is the time she enters the exclusive club. On the way to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, another 51-second marker would obviously enhance the new energy surrounding the event.
Top-10 Performers (100 Freestyle)
1. Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) – 51.71 (2017)
2. Marrit Steenbergen (Netherlands) – 51.86 (2026)
3. Anna Moesch (United States) – 51.94 (2026)
4. Emma McKeon (Australia) – 51.96 (2021)
5. Siobhan Haughey (Hong Kong) – 52.02 (2023)
6. Cate Campbell (Australia) – 52.03 (2018)
7. Simone Manuel (United States) – 52.04 (2019)
8. Britta Steffen (Germany) – 52.07 (2009)
9. Mollie O’Callaghan (Australia) – 52.08 (2023)
10. Bronte Campbell (Australia) – 52.27 (2018)
