Rio 2016 gold medal winner Sarah Sjöström from Sweden is in Malta till tomorrow as an ambassador for the Bettson Group.
Apart from having won the Olympic medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Sarah Sjostrom is a multi-medal world champion and holder of no fewer than 6 world records.
Speaking to her yesterday at the ASA offices, she said she had started competitive swimming at age nine. “That is when I started feeling a big love for the sport, especially when I started clocking good times. Overall, I think I had a very good 2017. Personally, I think it was my best ever year in swimming,” she said.
Asked what her most cherished medal was, she immediately pointed out that it was the Olympic medal. “It was my third Olympics and I was proud I was a winner,” she added.
She went on to say that she has been inspired to success by several top performers in the sport. In Sweden, despite the cold, swimming is more popular than waterpolo and there are a lot of world class swimmers. But one has to undergo sacrifices to reach the top. You have to follow a vast training plan – five hours a day – which is part and parcel of the secret to success.
“My visit here in Malta is sort of a short holiday, but at present I am already training for the 2020 Olympics, even if the first competition is the European Championship,” she said.
Read Independent
