Sophie Hansson

Sophie Hansson

Personal information
Full name	Sophie Elizabeth Hansson
Nationality	Swedish
Born	(1998-08-02) 2 August 1998 (age 27) Helsingborg, Sweden
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Club	Helsingborgs SS
College team	North Carolina State [1]
Coach	Braden Holloway (NCSU)
Medal record Women's swimming Representing   Sweden Event 1st 2nd 3rd World Championships (LC) 0 1 0 World Championships (SC) 2 1 2 European Championships (LC) 2 0 0 European Championships (SC) 1 0 1 Total 5 2 3 World Championships (LC) 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 100 m breaststroke 2021 Abu Dhabi 50 m breaststroke 2021 Abu Dhabi 4×100 m freestyle European Championships (LC) 2020 Budapest 100 m breaststroke 2022 Rome 4×100 m medley European Championships (SC) 2017 Copenhagen 4×50 m medley 2017 Copenhagen 50 m breaststroke

Sophie Elizabeth Hansson (born 2 August 1998) is a Swedish Olympic swimmer who swam for North Carolina State University, and represented Sweden in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro, 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, competing in breaststroke and relay events. ^{[2] [3]} In May of 2021 she set a new Swedish record in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:05.69. Her older sister Louise Hansson was also a competitive swimmer and swam with her in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. ^[4]

Hansson was born 2 August 1998 in Helsingborg, Skåne, Sweden, and both she and her older sister Louise swam for the local Helsingborgs SS club, known in Sweden as Helsingborg Simsällskap. She attended Filbornaskolan High School. ^{[2] [5]}

In early international competition highlights, she captured the silver medal in Singapore at the 2015 Junior World Championships in both the 50 and 100 breaststroke. At the 2017 European Championships, she captured a gold medal in the 4x50 medley relay and took a bronze medal in the 50 breaststroke. ^[5]

North Carolina State University

Hansson was a student at North Carolina State University from 2019-2022, where she swam for Head Coach Braden Holloway. At NC State, she was an NCAA champion in 2021 in her signature events, the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 and 400 medley relay. ^[5]

She was an All American 22 times from 2019-2022 in the 100 and 200 breaststroke, and in the 200 and 400 medley relay. In varying years she also was an All American in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. ^[5]

She was an Atlantic Coast Conference Champion 11 times in the 100 and 200 breaststroke from 2019-2021. She was an ACC champion in varying years in the 200 and 400 medley relays, and the 200 freestyle relay. ^[5]

During her career at NC State, on May 17, 2021, she broke the standing Swedish record in the 100 meter breaststroke with a time of 1:05.69, breaking her former Swedish National record which she set in the prior month. ^[6]

International competition

As a prolific international competitor, in five World and European Championships from 2017-2024 she won 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals. Consistently showing her greatest strength in medley relay and breaststroke events, her golds were in 4x100 and 4x50 medley relays, and the 100 meter breaststroke. ^[5]

Olympics

2016 Rio Olympics

Hansson competed in the women's 100 metre breaststroke event at the 2016 Summer Olympics, finishing 27th with a time of 1:08.67. Lily King took the gold medal for the U.S., with a time of 1:04.93. ^[2]

She finished 26th in the women's 200 metre breaststroke with a time of 2:30.59. ^[2]

2020 Olympics

She competed in four events for Sweden in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Improving her times from the 2016 Olympics, she again swam in the women's 100 metre breaststroke, making the finals and placing sixth with a personal best time of 1:06.7, around 1.16 seconds from contending for a bronze medal. Lily King of the American team won the bronze with a time of 1:05.54. ^[2]

In her second breaststroke event she competed in the women's 200 metre breaststroke, just missing the finals and placing tenth with a time of 2:24.28. Annie Lazor of the U.S. team took the bronze with a time of 2:20.84. ^[2]

She swam in the Women's 4x100 metre freestyle relay in the final heat, placing sixth with a combined team time of 3:24.69 and finishing only five seconds behind the Women's gold medal team from Australia and less than two seconds from the bronze medal team from the United States. The Swedish team included Sarah Sjostrom, Michelle Coleman, Sophie's sister Louise Hansson, Sophie, and Sarah Junevik. ^[2]

In the 4x100 Women's Medley Relay, the Swedish team again made the finals, placing fifth with a time of 3:54.27. The Australian team took gold, the American team took the silver, and the Canadian team took the bronze with a time of 3:52.60. ^[2]

2024 Olympics

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hannson swam in the women's 100 metre breaststroke and women's 200 metre breaststroke, and competed with the Swedish team in the 4×100 medley relay, where the Swedish team placed 7th.

In the 100-meter breaststroke, she placed 13th with a 1:06.96. In the 200-meter breaststroke, she placed 20th with a time of 2:28.10, and did not advance to the finals. ^[7]

Honors

During her collegiate swimming career, she was the ACC Women's Freshman of the Year in 2019, and a Honda Sport Award Finalist in 2021. As a solid academic performer, she was part of the Academic All-Atlantic Coast Conference Team all four years from 2019-2022, and in varying years, a College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA) Scholar, and a CoSIDA Academic All-American. ^[5]

References

1. "Swedish Olympian Sophie Hansson Gives Verbal Nod to NC State". 19 September 2017. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
2. "Olympedia – Sophie Hansson".
3. "Sophie Hansson". Rio2016.com. Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
4. Silvander, Heidi (12 December 2013). "Systrarna Hansson har ett EM ihop". Sydsvenskan (in Swedish).
5. "North Carolina State Wolfpack Swimming and Diving Roster, Sophie Hansson". gopack.com. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
6. "Penland, Spencer, March 18, 2021, Swimswam Magazine online, Sophie Hannson Downs Swedish Record". swimswam.com. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
7. "Recapping the Performance of the NC State's Swimmers in the 2024 Olympics". packinsider.com. Retrieved 12 July 2025.

External links

• NC State bio
• Sophie Hansson at World Aquatics
• Sophie Hansson at SwimRankings.net
• Sophie Hansson at Olympics.com
• Sophie Hansson at the Swedish Olympic Committee (in Swedish)
• Sophie Hansson at Olympedia