Tired, worn out, and unmotivated.
That winter morning in 2022 felt like anything but good for Sarah Sjöström.
It would change her swimming life.
I reached a point where I felt I had to take it easy, says the Olympic gold medalist.
Initially, Sjöström had thought of focusing all her individual energy on the 50-meter freestyle – the event she totally dominates and has won three consecutive World Championship gold medals in – but now it seems she will also start in the 100-meter freestyle, where she has a medal chance but is not the favorite.
Even if that happens, it will be the first time since her debut in Beijing 2008 that she will only swim two individual events.
In both London 2012 and Rio 2016 (gold, silver, and bronze), she competed in four events, and in Tokyo 2021 in three (one silver).
Is she not throwing away several medal chances with that choice?
Sarah Sjöström shifts uncomfortably in her seat with a cup of coffee after the recently finished lunch at Lidingö golf club.
Sometimes I get irritated that there's so much focus on what I swim, she says.
A lot of medals
It's no wonder people are curious.
In World Championship contexts (long course), Sarah Sjöström is the most decorated swimmer individually in the world.
The 30-year-old star from Södertörn has taken 95 championship medals so far, with the team bronze in the European Championship 2008 (where she swam in the heats) still unregistered.
In the World Championship 2019, she made history as the first woman to take five individual medals.
But that's where the shoe pinches.
"No purpose"
That's where that winter morning in 2022 comes back.
I came to training and felt I couldn't take it anymore, I quit. I went home. I was so damn unmotivated, like everyone goes through in elite sports. It wasn't the first time I felt that, it was just bloody hard and boring, she says.
The difference this time was that it led to changes.
That summer, she cut down her program and swam three individual events in the World Championship in Budapest, 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter butterfly, as well as 100-meter freestyle.
It resulted in gold on both 50-meter distances and silver on 100.
In the European Championship in Rome – double individual gold – a few weeks later, she also skipped the 100-meter freestyle.
So has her championship program looked since then in long course – the two 50-meter distances.
At the Olympics, there is no 50-meter butterfly on the program, which is why Sjöström has opened up to swimming 100-meter freestyle as well.
"Won everything"
She explains the choice to cut down the number of events by wanting to have a long career. She is set on swimming another Olympics, in Los Angeles 2028.
My body can't handle it for many more years, explains Sjöström, who is now competing in her fifth Olympics.
So I started with what was most reasonable to remove, an event where I've already won everything and set world records a thousand times, she says, talking about the 100-meter butterfly.
The event where Sjöström broke through, where she won Olympic gold and totally dominated.
Was it an emotional decision?
No, it was completely natural. I've never seen it that way, but more like I'm grateful and lucky to have had a lot of events to choose from.
I reached a point where it was still fun, but not as important for me to perform. Earlier, I would have been really upset if I didn't win. Now I'm happy anyway. Then you know you're done, she says.
"Fresh and alert"
The 200-meter freestyle, which she's always had a love-hate relationship with, also got scrapped.
100-meter freestyle, she swims on and off with the relay in mind – besides, it might be 100-meter butterfly in the medley relay.
Since she focused on the short distances individually, she has taken three consecutive World Championship gold medals on the 50-meter freestyle and improved her world record from 2017 last year.
This year, she has already been close to the world record twice, and if she wins in Paris, she will be the first Swedish swimmer to take Olympic gold on a sprint distance in freestyle.
In Tokyo 2021, she took silver just a few months after her elbow injury.
It would be awesome to get there. I hope I have an advantage because I'm coming in fresh. I think that's decisive for me, that I'm fresh and alert, she says.
Born: August 17, 1993 (30 years old).
Lives: on Lidingö outside Stockholm with her fiancé Johan de Jong Skierus (the couple is getting married in September).
Club: Södertörn.
Coach: Antonio Lutula.
Olympic merits: Gold on 100-meter butterfly in Rio 2016, silver on 200-meter freestyle 2016, and on 50-meter freestyle 2021 in Tokyo, bronze on 100-meter freestyle 2016.
World Championship merits (long course): 14 gold, 8 silver, 3 bronze. Has 4 World Championship gold medals on 50-meter freestyle, including three in a row: 2017, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
European Championship merits (long course): 17 gold, 7 silver, 4 bronze.
Current world records: 50-meter freestyle (23.61/2023), 100-meter freestyle (51.71/2017), 50-meter butterfly (24.43/2014).
Saturday, July 27: Relay, 4x100-meter freestyle, heats and possible final.
Tuesday, July 30: 100-meter freestyle, heats and semifinal.
Wednesday, July 31: 100-meter freestyle, final.
Saturday, August 3: 50-meter freestyle, heats and semifinal, relay 4x100-meter medley, heats.
Sunday, August 4: 50-meter freestyle, final, relay 4x100-meter medley, possible final.
