Was thinking of quitting, now Louise Ekman is a Swedish World Indoor Championships hopeful

It took 6.5 years to improve her personal record from 1.86 to 1.87 meters, which she set a year ago.

Then she first made a four-centimeter leap in January and then a five-centimeter leap a little over a month later, reaching 1.96 and placing sixth in the world this year.

In Sweden, only Kajsa Bergqvist (2.08) and Emma Green (1.98) have jumped higher indoors.

That gave Ekman a ticket to the World Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland.

"I didn't even dare to dream of an indoor World Championship ticket when I started the season. My goal when I entered the season was to get 1.90," says the 28-year-old.

For a long time she stood there, stomping at heights around 1.85. And she thought about quitting.

"Many times I felt that way. But at the same time as that feeling was strong, I still had the feeling that I could do so much more. And that feeling was stronger. I'm glad for that today."

Important details

In 2023, she began working full-time with Bengt Jönsson, the coach behind Kajsa Bergqvist's high jump successes in the early 2000s.

"We started working on the details that he considers important, mainly the approach run and the last three steps to the bar. It has taken me time to get into those details and it is only in the last year that I have found the parts that are important for jumping high," she says.

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She also trains much more now than before and has gradually built up her strength over the past few years, which has also contributed.

"Another important part is that I feel so much better now that I've changed jobs and don't have the same stress. Now I can spend more time on recovery."

“Maybe I can learn from her”

Louise Ekman has been working as a coordinator for lawyer Christian Forslind in Gävle since the summer and can arrange her working hours around her training.

"That's an incredibly big contributing factor to how well it went."

Friday's competition at the Indoor World Championships will be the first time she faces all the best high jumpers in the world.

"I'm incredibly proud of myself for making it there. I think the Ukrainian girls are awesome, especially Yaroslava Mahuchikh who holds the outdoor world record (2.10). I've heard she has a really cool jumping style. Maybe I can learn something from her."

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Facts: Louise Ekman

Born: April 10, 1997 (28 years old).

Lives: Gävle.

Club: Gefle IF.

Coach: Bengt Jonsson.

Personal record: 1.96 m from February 24 in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia.

Merits: Indoor Championships: Two gold, two silver, one bronze. Outdoor: One silver, two bronze.