When? The World Swimming Championships, which began last Saturday, ended on Midsummer’s Day.
Where? The championship has been decided in the Duna arena in Budapest. In Hungary, swimming is a big and popular sport. When the World Cup was decided in the same arena five years ago, it was packed every final night.
This year, the audience capacity was smaller, but nevertheless there were unexpectedly many empty seats on some final evenings. Maybe it was influenced by the fact that Budapest had to jump in as World Cup organizer as late as the end of February when Fukuoka dropped out, and this time they could not market the championship in the same way.
During the two final days, however, there were a lot of people on site, high volume and a good drag.
A medal in the shadow of a war
When the Ukrainian swimmer Mychajlo Romantjuk came to the mixed zone after taking bronze in the 800 meter freestyle, a large group of journalists gathered around him.
The questions were not about his bronze race but about the situation in his country and the concern for loved ones.
Romantjuk told how he wrestled with the thoughts of whether he would really leave Ukraine after the invasion, but that after long discussions with the family he decided to continue his swimming venture in Germany.
– I can not do anything with a weapon. For me, it is better to swim and tell the world about the situation in Ukraine, said Romantjuk.
An assignment he takes very seriously.
– Now the world has forgotten the war a bit, but it is getting harder and harder for the Ukrainians.
Infection during the World Cup
It would be a “regular” championship – not a corona championship. Although all participants had to test themselves before departure – and immediately when they landed in Budapest – but if both tests were negative, there were no restrictions.
But on Friday, a sign was suddenly put in the mixed zone that it was time to put on a mouth guard again.
The reason was that participants submitted positive covid tests. How many have Fina, the international swimming association, not gone out with. However, Australia has confirmed that the bronze medalist in the 1500 meter freestyle Lani Pallister is one of them.
Some of the players in Canada’s water pool team have also tested positive for covid-19, and Canada therefore decided to withdraw from the World Cup.
The Swedes’ squad’s contribution – Sjöström excluded
Erik Persson’s silver in the 200 meter breaststroke was a welcome medal for the 28-year-old who fought hard and long.
Although Louise Hansson did not win a medal in the 100 meter butterfly – the seven hundredths will continue to upset her for a long time – she made a really good effort in that branch.
Little sister Sophie Hansson has had it a little harder. A sixth place in the 100 meter breaststroke is of course approved in a World Cup, but she has been a bit too far from her own personal records and her frustration over it has been felt.
As a whole, it can be stated that few of the Swedish swimmers have broken personal records – only Hanna Rosvall and Sara Junevik have succeeded. This is something for the coaches to think about.
Sjöström success
Sarah Sjöström’s new approach, where she stepped into the championship only on the fifth day, was a success.
She took two gold and one silver in her three individual starts. That says it all.
The 28-year-old continues to collect championship medals. She has now taken a total of 19 individual World Cup medals, only Michael Phelps has taken more.
Ten of them have been gold.
The king went home
Swimming king Caeleb Dressel came, was seen, won and had to go home.
Dressel was given to be the king of the championship, but after the individual World Cup gold in the 50 meter butterfly, the news came that he had to drop out of the World Cup due to injury.
The queen won everything
In the last World Cup, three years ago in Gwangju, long-distance star Katie Ledecky became ill and could not complete the championship.
In Budapest, she has stayed healthy, and then no one could stop her from taking World Cup gold in the 400, 800 and 1500 meter freestyle.
When she won the 800 meter freestyle, it meant that she became the first swimmer to win World Cup gold in one and the same sport five World Championships in a row.
Strange damage
Former doping-suspended Shayna Jack from Australia made her first championship after the suspension, and was the medal favorite in both the 50 and 100 meter freestyle.
But Shayna Jack never made an individual start in Budapest. During the warm-up ahead of the 100-meter freestyle trials, she broke her hand and was forced to cancel the championship.
The audience favorite who delivered
The butterfly king Kristof Milak had a lot of pressure on himself in front of the home crowd. Everyone wanted to see him take gold.
Milak did not disappoint. He swam not only one gold but two, at 100 and 200 meters butterfly.