Michelle Coleman

Michelle Coleman (born 31 October 1993) is a Swedish former competitive swimmer specialized in the sprint freestyle and backstroke events.^[1] She is the current Swedish national record holder in the 100 metre backstroke (short course), and the 200 metre backstroke (long course and short course). She finished 7th in the 200 metre freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and led off the Swedish silver medal winning 4 × 100 m medley relay team at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.

Michelle Coleman

Personal information
National team	Sweden
Born	(1993-10-31) 31 October 1993 (age 31) Vallentuna, Sweden
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Butterfly, freestyle, backstroke
Medal record Women's Swimming Representing  Sweden World Championships (LC) 2015 Kazan 4×100 m medley 2024 Doha 4×100 m medley World Championships (SC) 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×50 m medley 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×100 m medley 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×50 m freestyle 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×100 m freestyle 2022 Melbourne 4×50 m medley European Championships (LC) 2014 Berlin 4×100 m freestyle 2012 Debrecen 4×100 m freestyle 2014 Berlin 4×200 m freestyle 2014 Berlin 4×100 m medley 2014 Berlin 100 m freestyle European Championships (SC) 2017 Copenhagen 4×50 m medley 2013 Herning 4×50 m freestyle 2017 Copenhagen 4×50 m freestyle 2013 Herning 50 m backstroke 2013 Herning 4×50 m medley

Career

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she competed for the national team in the Women's 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay, but they were disqualified in the final.

At the 2013 European Short Course Swimming Championships won the bronze medal for the first time on 14 December.

Coleman raced at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and reached the finals for 200 m freestyle, finishing 7th.^[2]

In November 2016 it was announced that Michelle Coleman and fellow Swedish swimmer Jennie Johansson were barred from competing in international events representing Sweden, for disciplinary reasons.^[3][4] The ban was lifted after 2016 and she was able to start racing again in 2017.

In March 2017, Coleman went to Australia to compete in the 2017 New South Wales Open Championships. She won the 200 m freestyle event with a time of 1:55.98.^[5] In April 2017 Coleman competed in the Stockholm Swim Open and won the 200 m freestyle event with a time of 1:58.02.^[6] She also won the 100 m backstroke event with a time of 1:00.28 ahead of Katinka Hosszú.^[7] In the 200 m freestyle even, she won the first place with a time of 1:55.64, which was a world-leading time in 2016-17 season.^[8]

Coleman announced her retirement in March 2025.^[9]

Personal bests

As of 25 May 2021^[update]:

Long course (50 m)

Coleman in Kazan 2015

Event	Time		Date	Meet	Location	Ref
50 m freestyle	24.26		11 Oct 2019	FINA: World Cup No 5	Berlin, Germany	[10]
100 m freestyle	53.04		3 Nov 2019	FINA: World Cup No 6	Kazan, Russia	[11]
200 m freestyle	1:55.64		8 Apr 2017	Swim Open Stockholm	Stockholm, Sweden	[12]
400 m freestyle	4.07.61		24 Jun 2016	53rd Trofeo Sette Colli	Rome, Italy	[13]
50 m backstroke	28.59	h	2 Aug 2019	FINA: World Cup No 1	Tokyo, Japan	[14]
100 m backstroke	59.62		26 June 2021	58th Trofeo Sette Colli	Rome, Italy	[15]
200 m backstroke	2:10.56		10 Apr 2014	Swim Cup (in Dutch)	Eindhoven, Netherlands	[16]
50 m butterfly	26.05		8 Apr 2021	Swim Open Stockholm	Stockholm, Sweden	[17]

Legend: WR – World record; ER – European record; NR – Swedish record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; † – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

Short course (25 m)

Event	Time		Date	Meet	Location	Ref
50 m freestyle	23.52		6 Dec 2023	European SC Championships	Otopeni, Romania	[18]
100 m freestyle	51.47		17 Nov 2019	Swedish SC Championships	Eskilstuna, Sweden	[19]
200 m freestyle	1.53.51		23 Nov 2013	Swedish SC Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	[20]
50 m backstroke	26.67		14 Dec 2013	European SC Championships	Herning, Denmark	[21]
50 m backstroke	26.67		17 Nov 2019	Swedish SC Championships	Eskilstuna, Sweden	[22]
100 m backstroke	56.57		16 Nov 2018	Swedish SC Championships	Stockholm, Sweden	[23]
200 m backstroke	2:03.26		22 Nov 2014	Swedish SC Championships	Stockholm, Sweden	[24]
50 m butterfly	26.05		25 Oct 2020	ISL Series - Match 3	Budapest, Hungary	[25]

Personal life

Coleman's father is originally from New Zealand.^[26]