Alshammar sets new swimming world record
Swedish swimmer Therese Alshammar broke the 50 metre butterfly short course world record in the World Cup meeting in Stockholm on Wednesday.
Alshammar timed 25.31 seconds to break the old mark of 25.32 seconds set by Australia's Felicity Galvez on April 4 this year in Manchester, England.
“I’m in shock. It’s a surge of emotion; I’m actually moved,” Alshammar said to the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper following her record-breaking swim.
The new record is a welcome lift for Alshammar, who suffered a disappointing Olympics in Beijing.
Just minutes before the semi-final heat of the Olympic 50 metre freestyle, an event for which she had been tipped to win a medal, Alshammar’s swimsuit broke, resulting in a botched race and failure to make the finals.
But poolside at the Eriksdahl swimming complex in Stockholm on Wednesday evening, Alshammar felt her latest race was a turning point.
“I can’t compare this to what I’ve done before. But what I’m most moved by is that I, for the first time in a long time, since last summer, am swimming well again,” she told DN.
Alshammar also left the pool with the $10,000 bonus check World Cup participants receive if they set a world record during the competition.
“It’s a bonus, but it also allows me to be more independent the rest of the season. I can skip other competitions and train instead,” she said.
Alshammar also set a world record in the 50 metre butterfly long course in Spain in June 2007, posting a time of 25.46 seconds.
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Alshammar timed 25.31 seconds to break the old mark of 25.32 seconds set by Australia's Felicity Galvez on April 4 this year in Manchester, England.
“I’m in shock. It’s a surge of emotion; I’m actually moved,” Alshammar said to the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper following her record-breaking swim.
The new record is a welcome lift for Alshammar, who suffered a disappointing Olympics in Beijing.
Just minutes before the semi-final heat of the Olympic 50 metre freestyle, an event for which she had been tipped to win a medal, Alshammar’s swimsuit broke, resulting in a botched race and failure to make the finals.
But poolside at the Eriksdahl swimming complex in Stockholm on Wednesday evening, Alshammar felt her latest race was a turning point.
“I can’t compare this to what I’ve done before. But what I’m most moved by is that I, for the first time in a long time, since last summer, am swimming well again,” she told DN.
Alshammar also left the pool with the $10,000 bonus check World Cup participants receive if they set a world record during the competition.
“It’s a bonus, but it also allows me to be more independent the rest of the season. I can skip other competitions and train instead,” she said.
Alshammar also set a world record in the 50 metre butterfly long course in Spain in June 2007, posting a time of 25.46 seconds.
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