The Achilles tendon injury stopped Thobias Montler from the European Championship in Rome.
In Uddevalla, the long jumper was back – and won his seventh Swedish Championship gold.
It feels great to be able to defend the title, he says after 7,88 meters on a windy Rimnersvallen.
The injuries have been coming one after another for Thobias Montler lately.
Most recently: the Achilles tendon, which he injured in Doha, Qatar, at the beginning of May.
The problem with a fluid-filled sac at the Achilles tendon attachment made it impossible to jump at the European Championship on the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Instead, he chose to focus on rehabilitation and the biggest competition of the summer.
The road to the Paris Olympics began with the Swedish Championship on Rimnersvallen in Uddevalla.
"Super pleased"
There, he took his seventh outdoor Swedish Championship gold, and his twelfth overall.
I'm super pleased with that. I knew it could be tough today, so it was nervous when I went in, says Montler to SVT after the gold.
The 28-year-old secured the victory when he reached 7,88 meters in his first jump.
There have been injury worries lately. I was supposed to train at home, but then we said why not do the Swedish Championship instead, it's much more fun to compete. So, we decided to go for a 12-step approach, usually I have 20 steps, so I'm super pleased with the result. I'm taking a very good feeling with me.
Olympic hopes with a personal best
Even Olympic-qualified Carl Bengtström impressed in Bohuslän.
He won the 400 meters with a personal best of 45,74, ahead of Kasper Kadestål and Nick Ekelund-Arenander.
For the 24-year-old, who will run the 400 meters hurdles at the Olympics, the next step is a Diamond League competition in Paris on July 7.
Then it's a few weeks of breaking down again, to get a big peak form for the Olympics, he says.
