– The best thing about the fact that there are several of us who swim backstroke is that it shows that there are many of us who want to help and develop that way of swimming. The more we can develop the backstroke, the better our medley team will be, says Louise Hansson.
It is the day before the international swimming competition Swim Open in Stockholm. Already on the first day, Thursday, the 50 meter backstroke is decided, where Louise Hansson and Hanna Rosvall will be joined in the pool by record holder Sarah Sjöström.
Three Swedish swimmers who can all participate and fight for the top in a backstroke race are not the norm. They could have even been four, but Michelle Coleman this time opts out of competing on the first day.
Now it will it is said that for neither Hansson, Sjöström nor Coleman backstroke is their first way of swimming, Rosvall is the only exception. But since Sweden needs a good backstroker for the medley team to join and fight for WC medals this summer and Olympic medals next year, the backstroke is central.
Louise Hansson and Michelle Coleman as well as Hanna Rosvall have tried to swim it in championships.
Why do you think Sweden has had difficulty producing good backstrokers?
– I would turn it around and start by saying that because we have been so successful in the three other swimming styles (breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle) it has been easier to know what is required to succeed in them, says Louise Hanson.
– As we have not had anyone who has been as successful in backstroke, it has not been as obvious for young swimmers to find a role model in the same way.
– I know how good it has been for me that for almost 15 years I have been able to compete against the world’s best butterfly swimmer (Sarah Sjöström) at home. Thanks to that, I have been able to see what it takes to be good, and what training is necessary.
Photo: Caisa Rasmussen/TT
When Sarah Sjöström broke through, she supplemented butterfly with backstroke.
After a year or so, the backstroke was replaced by freestyle, but in front of the home crowd, the Swedish superstar will also swim backstroke on Thursday.
– When I don’t feel like swimming freestyle or butterfly in training, I actually do some backstroke. It’s quite fun to have an alternative, and besides, I swim the 100 meter medley sometimes, says Sarah Sjöström.
– The biggest challenge is the starters. It’s really a completely different thing to jump backwards, so to speak, she continues with a smile.
– Between a good and a bad start in backstroke there can be seven tenths of a difference before me, and then I’m not exaggerating. If you compare it to 50 butterfly and freestyle, it is very rare that there is a difference of more than two tenths.
During the first day of competition in Eriksdalsbadet, Sjöström also swims the 50 meter butterfly.
– Since I often swim better in the 50 meter butterfly when I’m warmed up, it was a good fit with the backstroke before, says Sjöström.
– I usually swim well in the 50 meter butterfly when I have had a good warm-up, so I also thought it might be good to run 50 backstroke before.
Photo: Jonas Ljungdahl/Bildbyrån
Although Sarah Sjostrom now rarely competes in backstroke, it is still her nearly six-year-old time of 27.80 which is a Swedish record.
Louise Hansson’s personal record from last year is 28.24 and Hanna Rosvall’s personal record is 28.49.
– I hope one of us can approach Sjöström’s record soon, says Louise Hansson.
Louise Hansson has shown that she can swim fast in the backstroke — at least in a short course. In 2021, she won WC gold in the 100 meter backstroke. Now the question is whether she can swim at record speed even in the long course.
Read more: Guide: Sjöström meets stars at home
