Therese Alshammar Season 1997-98

Honors & Awards

• Six Olympic Appearances (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016)
• 25 World Championship medals
• 43 European Championship medals
• 13-time All-American 
• First-Team Academic All-Big 12 (1998, 1999)

Sophomore (1998-99)
As one of the most talented swimmers in the NCAA at the time, Alshammar capped her season by securing fourth in the 50 free (22.58) at the NCAA Championships, a record that remains third in NU school history (as of May 26, 2026). Garnering additional All-America honors, she competed on the sixth-place 800 free relay team, the ninth-place 200 and 400 free relay teams and 13th on the 200 medley relay team. 

Swimming unshaved and untapered at the Big 12 Championships, Alshammar captured her first individual conference title in the 100 free with a time of 49.46. She additionally placed third in the 50 free (23.05) and sixth in the 100 back (56.77). Helping on the Big 12 400 and 800 free relay champion teams, she also earned runner-up on the 200 and 400 medley relay teams. Individually, she added a second-place finish in the 200 free. 

Following her collegiate season, Alshammar traveled to her home country of Sweden to compete on the international level. She highlighted her time there by a runner-up in the 50-meter free (25.30) and a fourth-place showing in the 100-meter free (55.79) at the European Championships.  

During her collegiate season, Alshammar posted five victories, including wins in the 50 free against Colorado State, Kansas and Missouri. She also won the 100 free against Missouri and 100 back when Nebraska traveled to Iowa State. 

She was named an academic All-Big 12 for her second year in a row. 

Freshman (1997-98)
A team-leader as a seven-event All-American, Alshammar put up numerous impressive times. She competed in the 800 free relay (second, 7:10.89), 400 free relay (seventh, 3:19.33), 200 free relay (ninth, 1:31.17), 50 free (tie-ninth, 22.83), 200 medley relay (11th, 1:41.90), 100 back (15th, 55.63) and the 100 free (16th, 50.20). 

At the Big 12 Championships, Alshammar won a gold medal as a member of the 800 free relay (7:12.70). She was the runner-up in the 100 backstroke (54.77), 100 freestyle (49.26), and the 200 freestyle (1:31.06). In the 50 freestyle, she swam a 22.89 for third. She helped the 200 medley relay team earn second with a time of 1:41.21 as well as the 400 free relay team with a time of 3:18.46. The team won the 1999 Big 12 Conference Championships under head coach Cal Bentz. 

At the 1998 World Championships, Jan. 12-18 in Perth, Australia, she finished sixth in the 50-meter free and 17th in the 100-meter free. 

Her regular season was highlighted by five first-place finishes at the Minnesota/Texas A&M triangular in the 100 free, 100 back, 200 free, 400 free and the 200 medley relay. At the Nebraska Sprint Classic, she was a runner-up in the 50 free with a time of 23.72. At the Texas Invitational, she finished sixth in the 100 free. She was voted as the team newcomer of the year and was honored as first team academic All-Big 12. 

Before Nebraska 
Before coming to Nebraska, Alshammar was the Swedish national record holder in the 50-meter backstroke (29.92) and the 100-meter backstroke (1:03.12). A 1996 Olympian, Alshammar finished 16th in the 100-meter back with a time of 1:04.15. She had been a member of the Swedish National Team since 1993 and had competed in every European Championship and National Championship since then. She was third in the 50-meter free (long course) with a then personal best time of 25.73 and 12th in the 100-meter free at the 1997 European Championships. She was an instrumental part of the Swedish relay teams, including the European record-holding 400-meter medley relay at the 1997 World Championships. 

Personal
Therese studied Advertising at Nebraska and was born to Krister and Britt-Marie S. Alshammar on Aug. 26, 1977.