First a pandemic and then a long injury break after the elbow fracture with subsequent surgery.

Then Sarah Sjöström is keen on competition.

She managed to get back to the Olympics in Tokyo where, given the injury, she took a magnificent Olympic silver in the 50 meters freestyle.

Now she plans to swim double championships in the coming months, both the European Championships and the World Championships in short track.

"Fun to compete"

It will be the first time since 2014 that she competes in the short track WC and EC in 25-meter pool, she has not swum since 2017.

- I think it's fun to compete, it's good training too.

There are many championships that have been postponed and canceled for a long time, so I feel that I want to take the chance to swim championships when you get them, she says.

The fact that there are two championships in just over a month - the European Championships in Kazan, Russia, will be decided on 2-7 November and the World Cup in Abu Dhabi on 16-21 December - has to do with the pandemic.

The World Cup should actually have been decided last year, but was moved a year forward.

- It has not been so many short track World Championships for me, it has not fit into the planning, says Sjöström who most recently, 2014, took three gold and one silver and set two world records.

Between the European Championships and the World Cup, she will swim the ISL finals in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and after the World Cup, the ISL final may await in early January.

"No setbacks"

The elbow is no longer a question mark.

She had intended to give up half of the basic series in ISL to rehabilitate at home, but an X-ray showed that everything looked good.

So since this weekend she is back in Naples where the basic series is decided.

- You get to listen to the body and so far I have not had any setbacks.

My orthopedist has given the thumbs up and approved this.

There is still a lot of work to do and it is especially when it comes to building muscle and strength again, it is my rehab now, she says.

Sjöström will have a longer training period during October.

But more is really needed.

- I need to get the pondus back in my arm, my triceps is still quite weak and it is important for swimming.

I really need a longer training period to work on it and build strength, but I feel like competing.

ARCHIVE: Document: Sarah Sjöström's fight against the clock

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Here, 14-year-old Sarah Sjöström wins European Championship gold: "It will be pasta with chicken" Photo: SVT