In Täby north of Stockholm, the art swimmers Clara Ternström and Anna Högdal, when SVT Sport met them a week ago, are sharpening the final details before the WC in Budapest, which starts this Friday.
- We are really in the final stages.
The programs are set, we have trained fitness and endurance.
There are only small adjustments left, says Clara Ternström.
Ternström also makes his WC debut in solo
As a couple, they are selected in the technical and free program.
But 20-year-old Clara Ternström is also a skilled individual art swimmer, made her European Championship debut last year and has also been selected for the upcoming WC in the solo class.
Who will be by her side?
Her pair mate Anna Högdal, who then instead takes on the role of coach.
Switches between coach and active
The background is that Högdal closed his own competition at an international level in 2012. But after coaching Clara for a few years, the longing to return to the pool became too great.
Since 2019, the duo has therefore alternated between Clara's solo venture and their joint pair venture.
What is it like to be a coach at the pool edge at one moment and train together in the pool at the other?
- I was a little worried at first what it would be like to first have the coaching role and then switch to being a pair of friends.
But it has worked very well.
And I'm not a tough coach that way, we've always had a dialogue between each other.
So I slide easily between the roles, says Anna Högdal.
And the first Swedish pair at the WC since 1998, how big is it for Swedish art swimming?
- It is an assessment sport, so then it is very important that we are in place, show that Sweden exists and maintains a certain level.
So that there is actually a Swedish couple in place, it's huge.