Following the news we reported yesterday on Swedish multi-Olympic medalist Sarah Sjostrom and her arm injury, the sprint ace underwent a successful surgery today.
Sjostrom slipped on ice in her native Sweden over the weekend, which resulted in her being taken to the hospital via ambulance. It was revealed she had broken her elbow, with the swimmer’s entire arm encased in a temporary cast and sling pending her surgery today.
At a post-surgery press conference held by Swedish team doctor Rene Tour, he estimated Sjostrom may not be able to return to her regular training for 3 to 4 months, leaving her Olympic participation in serious doubt.
“My interpretation is that after 3 months she should be able to load the maximum,’ Tour said, with the opening ceremonies of the postponed Olympic Games set for July 23rd, now just 165 days away (5 months).
Tour gave more details, “When performing an operation like this, you can choose to be awake or to put the patient to sleep. In this case, she has been chosen to sleep under general anesthesia. X-rays afterwards are good and everyone is happy with how the tuber is in place. It is where it should be.”
Tour described Sjostrom having a metal plate with screws inserted into the elbow area to help reinforce its recovery.
“As I understand it, screws and metal have been installed. I have not seen pictures and am not an orthopedist. Details about the operation I can not go into. But it is well fixed and stable,” he said in the press conference.
Her arm will be without a cast when she leaves the hospital most likely tomorrow, with Sjostrom having full mobility of her arm. Tour said, “It will certainly hurt a lot the first few days. She is allowed to move and must move her arm. She will return to the hospital in three weeks and remove the stitches. Then you check so everything looks good.”
Although she may not be back to her usual intense, full-body training, Tour anticipates the superstar will be able to get in the water and at least do some kicking in about 3 weeks.
When asked point-blank if Sjostrom could be ready for the Olympics, Tour stated, “The question is of course extremely difficult to answer at the moment. It is not an optimal timing at the moment.
“The elbow affects the arm, one of the most important parts of her work, but the elbow joint is in place and stably fixed. Now it is important that the rehabilitation takes place successfully. We are very hopeful and it is of course the goal that she will return to the level she deserves.
“The problem with Sarah is to hold her back so she does not rush to rehabilitation. It will be a challenge to keep her in check.”
Sjostrom was one of the most successful women’s swimmers at the last edition of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio, having collected a trio of individual medals. The Swede’s crowning achievement was topping the women’s 100m butterfly podium, but she also nabbed 200m free silver and 100m free bronze.
More recently at the 2019 FINA World Championships, Sjostrom went on a tear, earning 5 individual medals. She topped the 50m butterfly podium and snagged silver in the 100m fly and 50m free. She also collected bronze in the 100m free and 200m free.
Sung yang will traansform into a transgerneder athulete and sweep womens butterflyts
Jamie Vardy had hernia surgery 3 weeks ago and played yesterday. Why 3 months for an elbow? She will follow Vardy and be in pool in 3 weeks.
Great point! Hernia surgery and a broken elbow are almost identical.
it’s fairly common knowledge the abdominal wall is the scientifically referred to as “the elbow of the abdomen”
Because it’s a bone, and not abdominal wall. And i don’t know what kind of hernia.
MP broke a wrist in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics, but this injury to the elbow, less than 200 days from the Tokyo is a tough blow. Yes, unfortunate, but I would never bet against a champion like Sjostrom. If she’s got the resilience of becoming the best in history in her specialty, given the opportunity to recover, she will find a way to be on the blocks come the summer in Japan.
Strange that there is no mention here that she is the current world record holder in 4 distances: 50m and 100m free, and 50m and 100m fly.
Hopefully this could be a blessing in disguise. Maybe with her coming back from an injury her team can for once keep her away from carrying relays that don’t place higher than honorable 6th. This way she could focus on her individuals and maybe (big maybe) even have a better medal count.
Strategy could change. If Sweden’s supporting cast on relays is strong enough, perhaps even focus on those more than chasing an individual bronze medal through prelims/semis/finals or burning energy in the 200 free in a loaded field.
Would be foolish to count her out of being on that medal stand at all in July.
They have the two Hanssons, Sarah, and Michelle Coleman. That’s a pretty strong medley relay at the very least.
My prediction is her kick and her core become even stronger and that when she is allowed to race, she will still be fast enough to contend.
This reminds be of the Silken Laumann story. Sarah has incredible determination and the mind can overcome a lot so fingers crossed for her. We are all pulling for your Sarah!!
https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics–olympics-silken-laumanns-inspiring-comeback-1992-barcelona.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAPoNUUv6jsQNFoY_iCkb95zCMQTw8OPkKbOp8cgEoJE2bcq7ABtF_Lh3RJzzPXSyBntxClwZ1hmVvL_JzzWcK62JpzylKkqcMIBjC55WCftSbk4js3Cs1J2xg6YTk1HhA8P7GJAmCFOijr5lO-gH6M1zzBa32CaiN5BHvql6Wr9