The Comeback: Swede finally makes the final

After missing out on finals in the 800m and 1500m earlier in the European Championships in Paris, Swedish swimmer Victor Johansson has finally secured a spot in the 400m freestyle final. He achieved this on the final day of the championships, qualifying with the fifth-best time.

Johansson swam the 400m in 3:46.14, with Germany's Oliver Klemet posting the fastest time at 3:45.22. Reflecting on his earlier performances, Johansson had told DN that his preparations were the best he'd ever had, but something wasn't clicking, and he had no answer why. "It's like I'm walking in a dark room looking for the light switch," he had said.

Now, it appears he has found the switch. "It sounds silly, but before the race, I just thought 'fuck 'em all'! That's what I needed, I think. I needed to dig a little," he told SVT after the preliminary heat. In the final, scheduled for Sunday evening, Johansson will compete against strong contenders, including French crowd favorite Léon Marchand.

Earlier in the morning session, Thilda Häll narrowly missed the EM final in the 400m freestyle by a mere four hundredths of a second. "It's sour, of course, that it's only a few hundredths, I'm disappointed," she said. The 21-year-old swimmer, who studies and swims in Kentucky, USA, recorded 4:12.09, over a second slower than her personal best. She had to swim the race alone, as her closest competitors were far behind or not present.