The Norwegian Swimming Federation (NSF) has announced an 11-swimmer team that will attend the 2016 European Championships in May in London.
Men (5)
- Jørgen Scheie Bråthen
- Henrik Christiansen
- Sindri Thor Jakobsson
- Markus Lie
- Sverre Naess
- Truls Wigdel
Women (5)
- Susann Bjørnsen
- Ariel Braathen
- Stina Kajsa Colleou
- Cecilie Waage Johannessen
- Marte Løvberg
Coaches
- Ronnie Anstensen
- Joacim Lilleåsen
- Petter Løvberg
- Kay Arild Paulsen
The Norwegians performed very well at the 2012 Championships, the last held in the awkward pre-Olympic period, and their women won 2 gold medals.
Norway has 17 all-time European long course Championships in swimming, but none of the 17 medals were won by swimmers who are still actively competing.
That leaves a relatively young team led by 19-year old Henrik Christiansen, the winner of the 2015 Norwegian Breakthrought Athlete of the Year award.
Christiansen currently ranks 4th in the world in the 400 free, 2nd in the 800 free, and 3rd in the 1500 free. He’s the fastest European in the shortest of those three races this season.
Notably absent from the roster is 23-year old Lavrans Solli, who announced earlier this year that he was withdrawing himself from Olympic consideration after dealing with illness for most of the last year and losing his motivation.
“If I were to be in Rio, so it should be to get to the final and fight for a medal,” he said at the time. :Now I see that I can not get there, so I’d rather take a vacation with my family than spending all spring and summer on something I know can not do anyway. I have struggled so much with illness.”
Solli joined Christiansen as the only swimmers to final at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships when he placed 6th in the 50 backstroke. That 50 backstroke, however, is not an Olympic event, and he placed 34th in the 100 back and 21st in the 200 back.
The 2016 European Aquatics Championships, minus water polo that has already been completed and open water swimming, will be held from May 9th-22nd at the London Aquatics Centre.
