Veteran Johanna Westberg replaces
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TOKYO. The handball ladies have suffered a severe injury.
Isabelle Andersson pulled the cruciate ligament in the genre rope yesterday and missed the Olympics.
Experienced Johanna Westberg flies in and replaces.
—Isabell Andersson misses the Olympics
–Photo: Johan Nilsson / TT / TT NEWS AGENCY–
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Yesterday, Sweden met Norway in an unofficial training international match in Fukuoka.
Norway won by 32–25 (16–14).
But it was not the worst blow for Sweden.
The left winger and the championship debutant Isabelle Andersson, 21, pulled the cruciate ligament and missed the Olympics, it turned out during the night here in Japan.
– It is of course a terrible message for her to get the days before she will step into an Olympics and I really suffer with her, says national team captain Tomas Axnér to the national team’s website.
Declined no for family reasons
Johanna Westberg, who already made her championship debut at the European Championships in 2012 and also played in the European Championships in 2016 and the World Cup in 2017, flies in from Sweden and joins the squad in Tokyo, provided she can submit double, negative PCR tests. She can join no earlier than Friday. Sweden premieres against Spain on Sunday.
Westberg played the Olympic qualifier and was with the World Cup qualifier in March, but chose to say no to an Olympic investment for family reasons.
– I felt that I could not see myself being away from my son for so many weeks. But we agreed that they could call if something should happen, says Westberg, who plays in Nykøbing Falster in Denmark on a daily basis, to the website.
“Has cutting-edge skills that can lift us”
She continues:
– It has always been a dream and a goal to experience an Olympics and this is probably my last chance. Five years ago I was in all the camps before but missed the Olympics, now it will be the other way around. But I feel very sorry for Isabelle who went on this injury so close to the Olympics.
Tomas Axnér on bringing in Westberg:
– Johanna has top skills that can lift us, which she showed in the Olympic qualifiers. It is also a player who is well trained in both the team and our game, then we will see which match she can be ready to play.
This means that Nina Dano is still a reserve in place.
Both the Swedish women’s team and the men’s team check into the Olympic village today after coming from the camp in Fukuoka.
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