Swedish Swimming Team Faces New Challenges Ahead of 2025 World Championships
The Swedish swimming team prepares for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, facing challenges with key absences but maintaining medal hopes.
Key Points
- • World Championships taking place July 27 - August 3, 2025, in Singapore.
- • Sarah Sjöström will not compete for the first time in 16 years due to pregnancy.
- • Sweden will not field a women's 4x100 meter freestyle relay team.
- • Medal prospects include Sara Junevik and Louise Hansson, with Junevik holding the sixth fastest 50m butterfly time this year.
As the 2025 World Swimming Championships in Singapore approach, set for July 27 to August 3, the Swedish swimming team is preparing with notable adjustments. This championship is particularly significant as it marks the first time in 16 years that the renowned swimmer Sarah Sjöström will not be competing, as she is expecting her first child. The absence of Sjöström leaves a gap in Sweden's team, particularly noticeable in the women's 4x100 meter freestyle event, where Sweden will not be fielding a team, a rare occurrence for the nation's swimming history.
Despite these challenges, the Swedish team comprises eleven competitive swimmers and maintains hopeful prospects. Sara Junevik and Louise Hansson are highlighted as the team's main medal hopes; Junevik ranks sixth globally in the 50-meter butterfly this year, while Hansson returns to defend her bronze medal from the previous World Championships. The Swedish team will still compete in the women's 4x100 meter medley and mixed relays in both freestyle and medley events.
The competitiveness of this year’s championship is underscored by the presence of other star swimmers, including Summer McIntosh from Canada, who has set multiple world records recently and is expected to challenge existing records, including the 200-meter butterfly mark.
Swedish audiences will be able to follow the events live on SVT1/SVT Play, with the team hopeful for strong performances despite the historical absence of one of their greatest athletes, highlighting both the challenges and the resilience of Swedish swimming on the world stage.