Sarah Sjöström Wins 21st Individual Medal to Break Michael Phelps' Swimming Record

Swedish Swimmer Sarah Sjöström surpassed Michael Phelps' career medal tally after taking gold in the 50-meter freestyle at the world championships on Sunday.

The victory, which she captured with a time of 23.62 seconds, sealed her 21st career medal in individual races. This put her ahead of Michael Phelps, who had 20 and was the previous world record holder.

"I'm super happy with that," Sjöström said, per ESPN. "It was very busy yesterday, with the world record and the gold medal."

Sjöström's victory was her second of the weekend as she won the 50-meter butterfly on Saturday, a day when she set the 50-meter freestyle world record in the semifinals. American Swimmer Katie Ledecky also surpassed a Phelps-set record with her 16th individual gold medal after winning the 800-meter freestyle Saturday.

Sjöström's freestyle win was dominating, as she finished nearly a half-second ahead of her competitors. She elected to only race in the 50-meter events at the world championships to lighten the load and was pleased with that decision after the victory.

"But in the end, I'm very, very happy that I actually chose to have a light program," Sjöström said, per David Rieder of Swimming World Magazine. "I realized the circus around the races, that's what's the most exhausting part, actually, not the actual race. It's all the other points we need to do to prepare for the race and afterwards."

The record broken is strictly for individual races and doesn't include relays, as Phelps still holds the record for total medals. His 13 relay medals give him 33 in total, while Sjöström has one relay medal.

Sjöström's medal count includes 12 golds, six silvers and three bronzes. She has five medals each from the 50 fly, 50 freestyle, 100 fly and 100 freestyle and one in the 200 freestyle.