Svensk Simidrott, Sweden‘s aquatic sports federation, has announced its selected team for the 2018 World Short Course Championships, which will run from December 11-16 in Hangzhou, China.
There are three women and six men on the team, highlighted by national record holder Michelle Coleman. A sprint freestyler and backstroker, Coleman took much of the year off to rehabilitate after a February shoulder injury. She returned to competition in October after a seven-month hiatus, and had a great week at the recent Swedish Championships to qualify for Worlds and break her own Swedish record in the 100 SCM backstroke.
Also joining Coleman on the women’s side are sprint butterflier/backstroker Hanna Rosvall and distance specialist Hanna Eriksson, both teenagers.
Erik Persson is the top swimmer on the men’s side, coming off of the 2018 European Champs this summer, where he finished 8th in the 200 LCM breast. Longtime Swedish international veteran and national record-holder Simon Sjodin is also on the roster, along with sprint breaststroker Johannes Skagius, distance specialist Adam Paulsson, and sprinters Christoffer Carlsen and Gustaf Dahlman.
Though they had pre-qualified based on being Euros finalists this summer, World record holder Sarah Sjöström along with NCAA athletes Louise Hansson, Sophie Hansson, and Victor Johansson will not be competing at Worlds. Sjöström had signed to race at the Energy for Swim Meet which was canceled, while Johansson is dealing with a back injury and the Hansson sisters are probably focusing on school and winter training.
FULL ROSTER
Women
- Michelle Coleman, Spårvägen S
- Hanna Rosvall, Jönköping S
- Hanna Eriksson, Angelholm’s SS
Men
- Christoffer Carlsen, Helsingborg S
- Gustaf Dahlman, Västerås S
- Adam Paulsson, SK Elfsborg
- Erik Persson, Kungsbacka S
- Simon Sjödin, SK Neptune
- Johannes Skagius, SK Neptune
Sjostrom has the best time in 50 free(23.21) and 200 free(1:51.60) this year.
For the Hansson sisters, world champs is the same Tíme as there Exam period. As for Sjöström is it possible for her to re-enter now that Energy for Swim is cancelled?
I suppose Sjöström could still enter SC Worlds, if she wanted to. She’s certainly qualified in a number of events. But Energy For Swim had nothing to do with Sarah’s decision not to enter Worlds. Her plan for the season was to either swim the first half of the World Cup and Worlds, or swim all World Cup stops but not Worlds. She chose the latter.