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Legendary swimmer Michael Phelps recently congratulated Swedish swimmer Sarah Sjöström for achieving a huge milestone in her competitive career.
As of February 28, 2024, the 30-year-old has topped the ‘Most Individual Medals at World Aquatics Championships’ list, surpassing the 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.
On February 18, Sarah Sjöström made headlines for winning two gold medals at the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships. The swimmer finished first place in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly events, in 23.69s and 24.63s respectively. Moreover, it was Sjöström’s third consecutive 50m freestyle/butterfly double world championship win. Adding to her fortune, it was the swimmer’s 22nd and 23rd individual medal at the World Aquatics Championships arena.
Sarah Sjöström’s recent win in Doha helped her to lead as the highest individual medal winning swimmer in the world, surpassing prolific swimmers like Micheal Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Ryan Lochte, and others. On her milestone achievement, Sjöström was praised by none other than Phelps, the possessor of 20 individual world championship medals.
The 38-year-old shared the list of most medal winning swimmers on his Instagram story and wrote, tagging Sjöström:
“Congrats @sarahsjostrom”
Of Michael Phelps’s 20 individual world championship medals, 15 were gold medals and five were silver medals. Sarah Sjöström has 14 gold medals, six silver medals, and three bronze medals.
Sjöström first made headlines for surpassing Phelps at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. The Swedish swimmer won her 21st individual world championships medal in the women's 50-meter freestyle. She won the gold medal in the event, clocking an impressive timing of 23.62.
Throwback to Leon Marchand smashing Michael Phelps’s last existing individual world record
At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, Leon Marchand stunned the world with his record-breaking performance. The American swimmer smashed legendary swimmer Michael Phelps’s long-standing 400m IM record at the event.
Under coach Bob Bowman’s mentorship, the 21-year-old swam the race in 4:02.50, taking down Phelps’s 4:03.84 world record timing. It was the longest-held world record in swimming, set by Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. it was also the last remaining individual world record held by Phelps.
After the race, Phelps, who had first met Marchand at the prelims of the world championship, told NBC Sports:
“I’m just happy I have the longest-standing world record.”
He added:
“I said to Bob earlier this year, ‘I think this kid has the potential to break four minutes'."
Leon Marchand also expressed his happiness at breaking the record, saying:
“That was insane. That was one of the most painful things I did. The best is yet to come.”
