This week’s Performance Of The Week, sponsored by LumaLanes, goes to Pernille Blume of Denmark for her meet record in the 50 freestyle at the 2017 Sette Colli International in Rome, Italy.
Blume hit the wall in 24.13, a new meet record that took down Ranomi Kromowidjojo’s mark of 24.21 from 2012. Kromowidjojo was actually in the race against Blume, finishing more than two-tenths back (24.39) in second.
Blume’s 24.13 cuts two one-hundredths off of her season best of 24.15 from the Stockholm Open, and is the second fastest time in the world this year behind Sarah Sjostrom’s 23.83 from that same meet. While Sjostrom has been dominating the 50 free in 2017, Blume has now quietly put together to 24.1 50 swims that are both within a tenth of her lifetime best time.
Blume’s lifetime best is the 24.07 that won her Olympic gold in the 50 freestyle in Rio, and while it will likely take a sub-24 second 50 free to win in Budapest it is not unbelieveable that the 23-year old could make that jump this summer. While she has had success in short course leading up to 2016, Rio was Blume’s first individual international long course gold.
While the gold medalist will have tough competition in Sjostrom, Blume does have the advantage of a relatively lighter Worlds schedule than Sjostrom, who is competing in the 50 and 100 butterfly in addition to the 50 and 100 free and, presumably, multiple relay events as well.
Congratulations Pernille Blume on earning Swimming World’s Performance of the Week!
Special Thanks to LumaLanes for sponsoring Swimming World’s Performance of the Week.
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