The Super Swede is a huge favorite to win the Olympic gold on 50 meters freestyle – if so, her second bullseye in Paris after the upset win on double the distance on Wednesday.
And nothing has yet shaken her favorite role.
She swam under 24 seconds already in the trials on Saturday morning and in the evening it went even faster.
Her 23.66 is the third fastest in history on the distance and Sjöström has made the six fastest runs.
Set an Olympic record
It was also an Olympic record when she beat Australian Emma McKeon's Olympic gold time from Tokyo by 15 hundredths.
None of her competitors have yet gone under 24 seconds in the Olympic Games. Semifinalist Gretchen Walsh, USA, had 24.17 and was more than half a second behind super-Sarah.
Irritating not to quite reach the world record?
No, really not. When you're as old as I am, you don't think that way. You're grateful for every moment you get fast times. The most important thing for me is consistency, that I maintain a high level, she says.
"Would have been awesome"
On the other hand, she hasn't let go of the thought of a world record in the final on Sunday evening at 18.30.
It would be really awesome if I could go under the world record tomorrow, so far it's been getting better and better times for each race. I took the Olympic gold and set a world record in Rio, so it would have been awesome to do it again, she says.
Sjöström was behind in the beginning, as she usually is, but caught up and pulled away from her competitors in the end.
It's nothing that lets nervousness take over.
No, a little in the beginning maybe, but somewhere I can't do more than I do. After a while, the speed usually comes, she says.
Boyfriend Johan de Jong Skireus was not in the stands for the semifinal. He took a flight just in time for the final on 100 meters freestyle – Sjöström hadn't planned to swim that event – and has a ticket to Sunday's final.
He's doing something else, I think he's going to check out beach volleyball and fencing, says Sarah Sjöström.
The finalists on 50 meters freestyle with Saturday's semifinal times.
Sarah Sjöström, Sweden, 30 years old, 23.66.
Gretchen Walsh, USA, 21 years old, 24.17.
Katarzyna Wasick, Poland, 32 years old, 24.23.
Zhang Yufei, China, 26 years old, 24.24.
Shayna Jack, Australia, 25 years old, 24.29.
Meg Harris, Australia, 22 years old, 24.33.
Wu Qingfeng, China, 21 years old, 24.40.
Neza Klancar, Slovenia, 24 years old, 24.40.
