Marrit Steenbergen Underrated No Longer After Brilliant Finish to Career Year
At age 25, a decade after she first represented her country internationally, Dutchwoman Marrit Steenbergen has finally earned her place on the short list of the best female sprinters in the world. Her efforts in the World Championship final of her main event stated the case for Steenbergen’s inclusion on the list, and she followed that up with brilliant results day after day at the recent European Short Course Championships.
The final tally from the week of racing in Lublin, Poland, was six gold medals, including all four of her individual events and both women’s relays contested, plus a thrashing of the European record books. But long course is the format upon which swimmers are most judged, and Steenbergen finishes the year atop the pile in the 100 freestyle thanks to her thrilling gold medal from Singapore.
She entered that race as the defending champion, having won gold in at the lightly-attended Doha World Championships in February 2024, and she reached the final at the Paris Olympics before falling out of medal contention. Entering Worlds this year, the attention was on American Torri Huske, the Olympic silver medalist who had gone the world’s quickest time in June, and Mollie O’Callaghan, the Australian with world titles under her belt from 2022 and 2023.
Steenbergen upstaged both in less than 53 seconds. Huske had the most speed, and most assumed O’Callaghan, the 200 free world champion, would be superior on the back half, but Steenbergen clawed her way to the wall in 27.21, 0.12 quicker than the Australian and enough to secure the title in 52.55. That medal was Steenbergen’s second in Singapore after her dazzling 51.64 anchor split brought the Netherlands into bronze-medal position in the women’s 400 free relay.
But it would not be until early December that Steenbergen had a chance to show off her full versatility. In short course meters, she now owns European records in four individual events, the 100 and 200 freestyle plus the 100 and 200 IM. In the 100 IM, Steenbergen clocked 56.26 to beat the previous continental record held by Katinka Hosszu and jump to No. 3 all-time behind only Americans Gretchen Walsh and Kate Douglass. Later in that same session, Steenbergen dominated the 200 free in 1:50.33, a time that only O’Callaghan and Siobhan Haughey have ever beaten.
Forty-eight hours later, Steenbergen was at it again with another sensational double: a time of 2:01.83 in the 200 IM surpassed Hosszu’s European record and just missed Douglass’ world record, and then she clocked 50.42 to hold Beryl Gastadello at bay in the 100 free final. In the latter event, Steenbergen ranks No. 4 in history, with Douglass, Cate Campbell and Walsh ahead of her. And on the final day of the meet, Steenbergen led off the Dutch women’s golden 200 medley relay in 25.47, breaking yet another European record and moving to No. 6 all-time. That means she ranks top-six all-time in five different events thanks to one magical week.
Her six gold medals from the European Short Course Championships gives Steenbergen a whopping 23 medals from continental meets for her career, 12 in long course and 11 in short course. Her final medal Sunday in the 200 medley relay marked the second time she has helped the Dutch team to victory in that event after previously doing so a decade earlier.
On the global level, Steenbergen has 14 World Championships medals, eight in long course and six short course, with the 100 free gold medal this year her crowning jewel. She currently lacks Olympic hardware, but Steenbergen’s career momentum following the greatest year of her career indicates she will not be going anywhere, a key player on the run to the Los Angeles Olympics.
