The two national teammates were both recorded at 25.99 seconds in the final at Eriksdalsbadet in Stockholm.
It's not the first time they've swum the same time. At the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, they also clocked the same time - and had to meet in a re-swim for a semifinal spot. This is because Sarah Sjöström - who in her comeback only swims the 50-meter freestyle - was the fastest, and only two swimmers from the same country are allowed to advance from the trials.
"It's a little more fun to share a victory than to swim for a semifinal spot," says Louise Hansson with a laugh.
“Been so smooth”
Hansson, 29, and Junevik, 26, have just returned from Australia where they spent three months and for one of those months they trained in the same training group.
"We've been so consistent throughout that training period and since before as well. We've always had Sarah (Sjöström) to look up to, but having someone on the same level and being able to lift each other up is useful," says Sara Junevik.
For Junevik, the winning time was 0.49 seconds over her personal best and for Hansson, whose focus event is the double distance, 0.15 seconds over her personal best.
"It was okay, I don't really think I got the speed I wanted," says Junevik, European champion in the event in 2024.
"I can't be dissatisfied, it was just a bit over 'percentage'. I have a good feeling in my body and have developed my sprint swimming," says Hansson, who has European Championship gold and World Championship bronze in the double distance.
Both have secured their tickets to the European Championships in Paris this summer.
Record-breaking performance by Åstedt
Sofia Åstedt also set a personal best, improving it by 0.58 seconds to 1:59.16 in the 200-meter freestyle. She finished fourth, well behind Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, a multiple Olympic and World Championship medalist, who won in 1:55.10.
Åstedt passed the qualifying mark at half the distance in March.
Last summer's World Cup swimmer Victor Johansson had a tough experience in the 400-meter freestyle, where he finished fourth in 3:50.00, just over five seconds slower than his own Swedish record.
