The Swedish Swimming Federation has announced a roster of 17 athletes for the 2016 World Short Course Championships. The team of 11 men and 6 women will head to Windsor, Canada for the international meet from December 6th-11th.
The team will be without most of its major stars – including Olympic Champion, World Record holder, and the most dominant female butterflier on earth, Sarah Sjostrom, who will instead be off in South Africa doing charity work.
Also missing are potential medalists Michelle Coleman and Jennie Johansson, who have been blocked from competing with the country’s National Team. The decision by the Swedish Federation came after a period of conflict that included allegations that the pair were blocking out federation sponsor logos from photos they posted on their social media accounts.
Among those who will compete include both of the country’s male Olynmpians, Erik Persson and Simon Sjodin; and two of their female Olympians, Sophie Hansson and Ida Lindborg. Hansson was 26th in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes in Rio and took silver in the 50 and 100 at the 2015 World Junior Championships.
Sjodin will be the country’s highest hope at an individual medal after breaking the Swedish National Record in the 200 IM at last weekend’s national championships in 1:54.17. That time would have made the final at the last Short Course World Championships.
While female swimmers have dominated the sport in Sweden for the last decade-or-so, this team shows a concerted effort to stimulate that program with a big roster of males being taken.
Sweden finished 8th on the medals table at the last edition of the World Championships in 2014, thanks entirely to 3 golds and 1 silver from Sjostrom.
See the full roster below:
- Robin Andreasson, MASS
- Jesper Birch, Helsingborg S
- Christoffer Carlsen, Helsingborg S
- Mattias Carlsson, MKK
- Jessica Eriksson, Södertörn S
- Daniel Forndal, Jonkoping S
- Sophie Hansson, Helsingborg S
- Victor Johansson, Jönköping S
- Sara Junevik, Falu SS
- Ida Lindborg, MKK
- Nathalie Lindborg, MKK
- Adam Paulsson, SK Elfsborg
- Erik Persson, Kungsbacka S
- Axel Pettersson, Jönköping S
- Hanna Rosvall, Angelholm S
- Simon Sjödin, SK Neptun
- John Skagius, Sundsvall S
