Michelle Coleman has been part of the Swedish national swimming team since she was 16 years old. She has done four Olympics and “probably 10 World Cups”. She doesn’t really know for sure. There have been 19 championship medals in total. Most in team competition where she has been a permanent fixture in the Swedish medley and freestyle team for almost 15 years. She had an individual medal after the bronze in the 100m backstroke at the European Championships in 2014. First individual medal But then everything unraveled during the European Championships in Bucharest just before Christmas. There was a total of three golds, two in the team race, and then the crowning achievement, her first individual championship gold after the victory in the 50m freestyle. – It’s nice to be able to say that I won a gold. I am very proud of the journey I took, to dare to believe in becoming better by choosing a different path. Taking a break The journey Michelle Coleman chose was to simply take a break from swimming. For eight months she did all the things she missed and longed for. Travel, other training, studies and work. For the first time in her adult life, she could be spontaneous. Coleman also came to the realization that she wants to continue swimming and do it entirely for her own sake, and not try to push anything for anyone else. As she had done before. It has most likely also extended her already long career. – I know I’m in the latter part of course, but I haven’t set an end date. I just know that I want to be my best at the beginning of August when the Olympics are decided in Paris. Then there may very well be several races after that. Now the WC awaits The monotonous life as a swimmer continues for a while longer. She swims about 30,000 mi a week and has found joy again. The World Cup in Doha, Qatar is just around the corner. Coleman, already one of Sweden’s most meritorious swimmers, aims for new medals and believes she knows she has the best ahead of her. – I have even greater potential in my body and everything has not come out yet.
t4-general