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The Swede defending gold: "A fight from the heats"
🇸🇪 Sweden /Sports

The Swede defending gold: "A fight from the heats"

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Sara Junevik is the only Swedish swimmer defending a gold medal at the European Championships in Paris.
  • She won gold in the 50-meter butterfly and bronze in the 100-meter butterfly at the previous championships.
  • Junevik aims for a personal best in Paris, acknowledging the tough competition from teammates Sarah Sjöström and Louise Hansson.

Sara Junevik carries the weight of defending a gold medal as the Swedish swim team arrives in Paris for the European Championships. Unlike her more famous teammate Sarah Sjöström, it was Junevik who clinched gold in the 50-meter butterfly at the last championship, also securing a bronze in the 100-meter butterfly. This makes her the sole Swedish swimmer in the current squad with a title to defend.

I would really like to set a personal best in the 50 butterfly here in Paris.

— Sara JunevikJunevik expressed her goal for the upcoming European Championships.

"I would really like to set a personal best in the 50 butterfly here in Paris," Junevik stated, referring to her current record of 25.50 seconds set last summer. However, she acknowledges the challenge ahead, noting that "the fight for a good placement starts already in the heats." This sentiment stems from her experience at the 2022 European Championships in Rome, where despite having the fourth-fastest qualifying time, she was edged out of the final because only two swimmers per nation could advance. Both Sjöström and Louise Hansson, who had faster times, will also compete in the 50-meter butterfly in Paris.

the fight for a good placement starts already in the heats.

— Sara JunevikJunevik highlighted the competitive nature of the preliminary rounds.

Junevik has recently relocated from Stockholm to Gothenburg to train with the "Growth objective" team. She reports feeling strong and fast, attributing this to a focus on high-speed training. "The focus has been on high speed, meaning training at maximum speed during practice," she explained. While she considers the move and new training group a source of extra energy, she views the upcoming championships as an initial evaluation, stating, "it's still a bit too early to draw any firm conclusions."

The focus has been on high speed, meaning training at maximum speed during practice.

— Sara JunevikJunevik described her training regimen since moving to Gothenburg.

The preliminary heats and semifinals for the 50-meter butterfly are scheduled for Tuesday. Erik Persson, who won Sweden's other gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke in 2024, has retired from the sport.

it's still a bit too early to draw any firm conclusions.

— Sara JunevikJunevik offered a cautious outlook on her recent training and relocation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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