Louise Hansson Doubles Up On Final Day Of Swedish Summer Nats

2017 SWEDISH SUMMER NATIONALS

• June 30th, 2017 – July 4th, 2017
• Boras, Sweden
• Results

After the first four days of Sweden’s Summer National Championships featured an onslaught of victories from Olympic gold medalist Sarah Sjostrom, the fifth and final day of racing saw Louise Hansson take over.

Hansson, a 2016 Olympian in the 100 fly and 200 IM, picked up wins in the 100 free and 200 IM to close out the meet. After Sjostrom was a no-show in the 100 free prelims, Hansson was the clear favorite, winning the final easily in a time of 55.58. Silver went to Ida Lindborg in 56.46, and her sister Nathalie Lindborg took bronze in 56.78. These two wins came after finishing runner-up to Sjostrom in four consecutive events over the first four days. She finished behind her in the 50 free, 200 free, 50 fly and 100 fly.

The 200 IM was an even more decisive win for Hansson, touching in 2:15.33 to finish well ahead of Vilma Ekstrom (2:18.63). That swim was actually faster than Hansson went in Rio when she placed 29th (2:15.66). She has been as fast as 2:12.72, done at the Danish Open in 2015.

There was one more meet record broken on day 5, as Erik Persson shattered his own mark in the 100 breast. Persson touched in 1:00.82, lowering his 2015 record of 1:02.24 by nearly a second and a half. Over two seconds back for silver was Johannes Skagius (1:03.03).

Persson has really impressed this year, particularly in the 200, where his best time of 2:07.85 has him ranked 5th in the world. At the 2016 Rio Games Persson finished 11th in 2:10.12, out of the final. He broke the meet record in that event as well on day 1, clocking 2:10.02.

OTHER EVENTS

• Hanna Eriksson topped the women’s 200 fly in 2:16.39, with Frida Berggren getting in there for silver in 2:18.34.
• Two-time Rio semi-finalist Simon Sjodin won the men’s 200 IM easily in 2:02.06, with Adam Paulsson claiming silver in 2:04.35. Sjodin was also a finalist in this event at the 2015 World Championships, placing 8th.
• Paulsson followed up that swim with a win in the 200 free, holding off a hard charging Isak Eliasson down the stretch. Eliasson trailed by nearly a second heading into the final 50, but closed in 27.63 to nearly take the win. At the wall it was Paulsson 1st in 1:50.90, with Eliasson right there for 2nd in 1:51.07.
• Emma Sundstedt (17:13.21) and Christine Ekman (17:22.50) went 1-2 in the women’s 1500, and Eriksson followed up her win in the 200 fly with another solid swim for 3rd in 17:33.05.
• Helsingborgs came out on top in the men’s 400 free relay, led by Christoffer Carlsen‘s 49.06 anchor, the only one under 50 seconds.