After the two Olympic gold medals in the city in 2024 and the comeback title in the 50-metre butterfly at the European Championships on Wednesday, Paris has become special for Sarah Sjöström and her family.
The fact that it was in the French capital, in the heat, that Adrian took his first steps on Thursday is perhaps not just a happy coincidence.
He's almost a year old, so Sarah's goal was for him to start walking here. It happened all of a sudden, says Dad.
Fully booked days
He is the one who will tell Swedish journalists how it is possible to combine family life with Sarah Sjöström's resumed career at the top of the world. The swimming queen herself is very busy during the European Championships week, concentrating on swimming - and life as a mother.
Johan de Jong Skierus, former elite fencer and former national captain of the national sabre fencing team, and his son Adrian have been integrated into the Swedish squad, not only at the European Championships but also at training camps during the year.
It was the same for the families of former star swimmer Therese Alshammar and Ida Marko Varga when they became mothers about ten years ago.
The other swimmers are very nice. Adrian has provided a bit of a positive distraction for them too, he has been a source of joy during meal times and when he learned to walk there was great cheering from the whole team, he says.
“The same and completely different”
Do you find that Sarah has been more relaxed when she has had you in the family with her at the European Championships?
How relaxed you can be as a mother. There will be different routines, it's both the same and completely different. I think her competition routine will remain, then there will be new routines for when Adrian will eat, sleep and what she will do herself.
He says that both he and mom can sleep at night.
Adrian has been a dream for several months, he sleeps all night long, says Johan de Jong Skierus.
Father and son sat in the stands in the arena when mother Sjöström won gold in the 50-metre butterfly.
What was it like to experience the golden evening?
"It was great, Sarah is back, but also that there are two different Sarahs under the same roof (in the arena). It was both Sarah the swimmer and Sarah the mother in the same place for the first time ever. It was a bit surreal," he says.
What is it like to make this journey together?
It's a luxury that all three of us can be together wherever we are, he replies.
Saturday night's 50-metre freestyle final starts at 6:37 p.m. Sarah Sjöström was fastest in the semifinals and is already a gold medal favourite.
