Education
But after the Olympics, she took one year off swimming and concentrated on her studies, which were not finished.
But after the Olympics, she took one year off swimming and concentrated on her studies, which were not finished.
She is the current holder of the world record in women"s 50- and 100-metre freestyle events. In 2004, she asked to swim the 4×100 m relay. At the 2006 European Championships in Budapest, Steffen clocked 53.30 in the women"s 100 m freestyle event, breaking the world record and upstaging the previous record of 53.42 set by Libby Lenton of Australia.
Even though Lenton swam a time of 52.99 on 4 April 2007 during the mixed 400 metre freestyle relay, this time was not recognized by the FINA as world record, because the race is not considered to be a FINA event.
At the same championships, Steffen was part of two world record-breaking relay teams. First, the German 4×100 m women"s relay team of Dallmann, Goetz, Steffen and Liebs took the Australian 4×100 m freestyle relay (Mills, Lenton, Thomas and Henry) world record of 3:35.94, clocking a time of 3:35.22.
The German women"s relay team of Dallman, Samulski, Steffen and Liebs, then swam a time of 7:50.82 to take the previous United States 4×200 m freestyle relay (Coughlin, Piper, Vollmer and Sandeno) world record that stood at 7:53.42. At the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne where she finished third in the 100 metre freestyle event and second in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay.
Steffen touched in 53.12 seconds, bettering her own Olympic record of 53.38 set on the leadoff leg of the 4×100 m freestyle relay.
At the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Steffen clocked 52.07 in the 100 m freestyle event, breaking the world record and upstaging the previous record of 52.22 set by herself four days before.