MacNeil increased her running speed in the final 50 meters to record a time of 55.59 seconds and at the same time overtook Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei (55.64 seconds) who had to settle for the silver medal, while Australian swimmer Emma McKeon (55.72 seconds) won the bronze medal.
Sjostrom finished seventh, well beyond his own mark.
“Actually, at the moment I can't say anything, I didn't expect it,” said MacNeil, world champion in the event and who has now won his first Olympic gold medal.
“I couldn't see anything else. I was off the track, which I thought was in my favor. I could concentrate on my pedaling rather than seeing what everyone else was doing,” he said. continued, cited by AFP on Monday.
Zhang took the lead early in the race and was caught by American swimmer Torri Huske, but was then passed by MacNeil to be the first to touch the pool wall.
Sjostrom, who injured his elbow earlier this year, said the butterfly was his lowest priority and that he still holds the world record of 55.48 seconds that he set at the Rio Olympics 2016.
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