After the success – WC jump in a new discipline

The Helsingborg swimmer, who has his training base in England, together with Sarah Sjöström became medal queens at last year’s short course WC in Abu Dhabi. They took seven medals each.

For this year’s edition in Melbourne, Sjöström – who took a break during the autumn – is not present, which means that Sweden’s team coat is weakened.

Individually, however, Louise Hansson is very much a medal candidate.

Last year she won gold in the 100-meter backstroke, took silver in the special distance 100-meter butterfly – where she won EC gold in the long course in August – and bronze in the 50-meter backstroke.

All three branches are in her program this time as well.

In addition, the 100 meter medley, where she set a personal record twice during the World Cup. She has the second best entry time in the WC starting field.

— It went well at the World Cup and I broke a personal record with times that make me one of the top. It feels like an open branch, she says.

Tips from the sister

It is the breaststroke that is the challenge for Louise Hansson. There, she has received tips from her sister Sophie Hansson, who belongs to the world’s top.

The two have been training together at Loughborough University in England since last fall.

TT: Is she your breaststroke coach?

— Yes, exactly (laughter). She’s probably not too happy with me. There hasn’t been much breaststroke training, but a little to find some kind of feeling, says Louise Hansson, who also swam medley at the beginning of her career.

In recent years, Louise Hansson has stepped straight into the world elite. In long distance, it’s still a butterfly for so long. In short track also in backstroke and medley.

The medal party last year meant a lot for self-confidence – but also means that the pressure has increased.

— It feels a bit like… how do you top it? Everything really went right there. I find it hard to imagine that I will experience more such championships in my career where everything goes as planned.

Medal chance for everything

TT: Do you feel that you have a chance of winning in all your disciplines?

— I try not to think too much about it. I’m entering a new mode, definitely, with more pressure on myself, even from the outside. I just try to learn from it and know that I have a good chance in everything. The goal is to try to fight for the medals in all my disciplines, she says.

But the competition is also tougher as the home nation Australia, which did not participate last year due to the pandemic, is betting big.

— There has been a lot of talk about the fact that maybe not the entire world elite would be there. But if you check my branches, pretty much everyone is there. It’s probably in the medley that it’s a little more empty, she says.

Sweden took four golds, five silvers and three bronzes last year and had their best short-track WC in history in terms of medal totals. Two of the gold medals and a total of four medals came in the team race, where Sweden also set the world record in the 4×50 meter medley.

With Sjöström gone, it will be difficult with such a medal success. Alongside Louise Hansson, it is mainly breaststroke swimmers Sophie Hansson and Erik Persson who can challenge for medals.