The swimmer has had a tough week at the European Championships. After several years of record-breaking efforts, which were still not enough to medal, he has missed the finals in both the 800 and 1,500 metres.
Now it was time for the final day of the European Championships. Victor Johansson's 3:46.14 was the year's best by 43 hundredths, but 1.46 seconds above his Swedish record.
"With the week I've had, I'm really happy. It's going to be a blast to swim the final. I have nothing to lose tonight," says Johansson.
“Will break the world record”
Home star Léon Marchand, a four-time Olympic gold medallist in Paris 2024, finished just ahead of the Swede, in fourth place with 3:45.85.
"I think he will break the world record. When I saw his 200 in the team (earlier this week) I was sure he would do it," he says of the record held by Lukas Märtens of Germany, at 3:39.96.
But Marchand's participation also creates an electric atmosphere in a packed arena.
How will it be?
"I'm just going to take it in, pretend it's me they're yelling at. Just have fun and try to lower the time from the attempts."
Medal position?
"No, with this week I've had, I'm just happy to swim the final. If I lower the trial time, I'll be happy," says Johansson, who was fourth in the World Championships at the distance last year.
Bad luck for Häll
Sweden also came close to getting a place in the finals from Thilda Häll in the women's 400-metre freestyle. But the 21-year-old missed out by a paltry four hundredths.
"It's disappointing that there's only a few hundredths of a second difference over such a long distance, I'm disappointed about that," says Häll, who finished sixth in the 800-metre freestyle at the European Championships after breaking his Swedish record in both the trials and the final.
Now her 4:12.09 was just over a second above her personal record.
Both the women's and men's 4x100 metre medley teams missed the final.
The women with Louise Hansson (1.02.06/backstroke), Olivia Klint Ipsa (1.07.37/breaststroke), Sara Junevik (58.05/butterfly) and Sofia Åstedt (54.76/freestyle) were closest.
Their 4:02.24 was 92 hundredths of a second from the final.
