Just over 170 days after the severe elbow fracture, she did so.

Sarah Sjöström took silver in the 50 meter freestyle during the night towards Sunday, when she finished on 24.07.

Sweden's national team captain Ulrika Sandmark sits, about three hours after the success, in the sun and melts all impressions.

- She has made a fantastic championship based on the conditions she had.

It is incredibly strong to come back in this way, she tells SVT Sport.

"Believed in it"

How big is this?

- To have a broken elbow in March and partly get to the final but mainly take a medal in 50 freestyle is very big when you have been injured so close.

Sandmark believes that Sjöström has had a fantastic resource team around him, including coach Johan Wallberg, from SOK.

- Then Sarah herself has been fantastic who worked hard every single day, hour, minute.

How much could you hope for a medal in advance given the conditions?

- It is clear that the chance existed for Sarah, who has won medals before.

She swam into the championship, and 50 freestyle was what she had the greatest chance at.

For the next few days, I believed she would pinch a medal.

"Long ago I saw her so happy"

Have you ever seen her celebrate so much?

- Haha .. I was not there then but I have seen the pictures from when she broke through and took gold at the European Championships and then she screamed right out.

But there she was more of a child, says Sandmark and continues:

- It was wonderful scenes, long ago I saw her so happy.

Before today, she was probably also inspired by Daniel (Ståhl) and Simon (Pettersson) as well (after gold and silver in discus, editor's note).

Tomorrow, departure to Sweden awaits and in a while the preparations for the autumn European Championships and World Cup will begin.

CLIP: Silver to Sarah Sjöström at 50 free: "Absolutely crazy" (August 1)

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Sarah Sjöström took Olympic silver in the 50 meter freestyle.

Photo: TT