She was only nine hundredths over her month-old personal record from the Swedish Championship in Norrköping.
The Falu swimmer, who trains at the national elite center in Stockholm, had to wait five days for her specialty distance after 100 meters butterfly on Sunday where she was eliminated in the heats.
A wait that has had its challenges.
It has been a bit on and off. One day it feels okay, the next day I feel too much after and think that the peaking has gone over. Two days ago it was the worst, then I thought we had done something crazy, she says.
So the form message in the heats was exactly what she needed.
More in the semi
Sara Junevik sees potential for improvement before the semifinal this afternoon.
I felt maybe after this race that I can accelerate a little more and a little earlier. I feel that I have powers left, I do not get numb but have a good flow. To tweak a little on everything is the key to tonight, says the Falu swimmer.
In the absence of Sarah Sjöström, who will become a mother in August, the American Gretchen Walsh is a big gold favorite.
Walsh was also the fastest in the heats with 25.22. The Australian Alexandria Perkins was 19 hundredths behind and the third Silvia di Pietro, Italy, had 25.49.
New setback for Hansson
Louise Hansson finished 18th with a time of 26.04 and was eliminated. She missed the semifinal with two positions and a seven-hundredth margin.
It was a seasonal best with two hundredths, but two tenths from the personal record.
I had expected much more. It would have been damn fun to get a chance again, it feels like I have much more in my body, says Louise Hansson, who surprisingly was also eliminated directly on the specialty distance 100 meters butterfly on the first World Championship day.
Neither did Elias Persson succeed in advancing on 50 meters freestyle and finished 32nd with 22.27.
