Sarah Sjöström is pregnant with her first child and will not be competing this year.
And she is missed among her swimming colleagues.
It will be empty and it will feel strange at these first competitions without having her on site, absolutely, says national team colleague Louise Hansson in connection with the ongoing Swim Open in Stockholm.
Victor Johansson also misses his "mamma Sarah".
I remember the first championship I got to do with her. She really took me in, I still call her mamma Sarah. And it's pretty cool that she's now becoming mamma Sarah for real, he says.
The Journey Back
Of course, it's sad that she's not competing. Even though she's not here, she's still the one who's carrying the torch and pushing Swedish swimming forward.
Sarah Sjöström is aiming to make a comeback to swimming. Louise Hansson believes in a thunderous comeback.
Sarah is "superwoman", I firmly believe in her. It's definitely a big challenge, but I absolutely believe it's fully possible with her determination when she wants to get things done, says Hansson.
Victor Johansson looks forward to following Sjöström's journey back to sports after pregnancy.
It's not many who have succeeded in doing so, but those who have succeeded have done it very well. I believe in her, I always have and always will, says Johansson.
"A Shock"
At the same time, Michelle Coleman has ended her swimming career and is also missed by her former teammates.
It was a bit of a shock, I thought she would keep going for a bit longer. But also fully understandable. "Micha" has a top career behind her, and I know she's very happy with her life outside of sports. But it's definitely sad to know she's not coming back, says Louise Hansson.
