Paris 2024 swimming: All results, as Sweden's world record holder Sarah Sjöström flies to Olympic glory in 100m freestyle over Australian favourite Mollie O'Callaghan

Sweden's world record holder Sarah Sjöström flew to Olympic glory to upset a stacked lineup in the women's 100m freestyle on 31 July at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

She touched the wall in 52.16 seconds, coming within a half-second of the world record she set in 2017, to upgrade her bronze medal in the event from Rio 2016 to its gold counterpart.

"I didn't think I would swim the 100 free,” Sjöström said, confessing that it was a last-minute decision.

“After the freestyle relay the first day, I told my coach straight away, 'I don't think the 100 free is for me. No, I want to do the 50. I will rest until the 50.' ”

But her coach disagreed, so Sjöström put her name on the ballot for the 100m and “focused on all the details,” she said, explaining how she broke the race up by every five metres.

“My reaction said everything. I didn't know where I was when I finished. It took a few seconds before I saw that I won,” she said. “I have no more words. This is unbelievable.”

USA's Torri Huske finished just 0.13 seconds behind Sjöström in 52.29 seconds to take the silver with Hong Kong, China's Siobhan Bernadette Haughey in third with a time of 52.33 seconds.

“I think after the semis, everyone was so close it was really anyone's game. I love to race and I think the competition brought out the best in me,” Huske said, adding “Sarah is the greatest. I'm so happy for her.”

Australia's Mollie O'Callaghan, who went into the race as the favourite to win gold, missed out on the podium by just 0.01 of a second to take fourth. She appeared to give her competitors too much leeway, as she sat in seventh at the 50 and didn’t quite manage to catch up.

Aussie teammate Shayna Jack and American standout Gretchen Walsh also missed the podium, finishing in fifth and eighth, respectively.

Sjöström is set to race again in the women’s 50m freestyle, where the final will take place on 4 August as one of the last swimming races of the Games.

Swimming: Women's 100m freestyle podium

Gold: Sarah Sjöström, Sweden

Silver: Torri Huske, USA

Bronze: Siobhan Bernadette Haughey, Hong Kong, China