With Sarah Sjöström away for childbirth, the seasoned Louise Hansson, 28, was one of those who would step forward.
Instead, it was a gigantic step backward.
She did not even make it to the semifinal on her specialty distance 100 meters butterfly after having croaked badly on the second length.
Her final time 58.64 was more than 2.4 seconds above her personal best and 33 hundredths from the semifinal.
I do not know what happened. It felt good for the first 50, then it felt like I ran into a wall that I have never run into before, she says.
Consoled by her sister
Her sister and breaststroke swimmer Sophie Hansson came walking together with her big sister in the mixed zone, where swimmers meet the press, and was there to console her.
Louise Hansson was not even the best Swedish swimmer. Sara Junevik, whose main distance is 50 meters butterfly, swam in the same heat and was 18 hundredths faster.
She sympathized with Louise Hansson.
Very sad, I know how she struggles with this hundred and wants incredibly much with it, says Junevik.
”Mentally tough”
Louise Hansson has not had a cannon season and the times have been slower than usual. She was still hopeful before the World Championship.
It has felt pretty good, it has been mentally tough lately, but I still felt good before the race, she says.
Sara Junevik missed the semifinal by 15 hundredths.
One is a little disappointed, but I made a season best with quite a lot (63 hundredths), so it was fun, says Junevik.
