Sweden forced into the World Cup: ‘Strange planning’

It was the captain of the national team, Martina Aronson, who revealed, the day before the UEFA kick-off in Rome, to TT that Sweden intends to skip the World Cup in Doha in February 2024.

– We didn’t intend to go, maybe if a big swimmer had wanted to go there, we would, she says.

The FINA, FINA, made a decision last month that the tournament, which was originally supposed to take place in 2023 but was postponed due to the pandemic, will take place in February 2024 – just five months before the Paris Olympics.

This will be the first time a long-track water course has been specified in an Olympic year.

In addition, during the period many swimmers train as hard as possible to get the physique for the Olympics.

harsh criticism

The announcement drew heavy criticism from Great Britain and breaststroke star Adam Peaty, a British swimmer who says he has no intention of competing in the world championships.

But shortly after the announcement, Fina also announced that the World Cup in Doha would be eligible for Olympic team racing.

Usually, the top 12 teams in team racing qualify for the World Cup a year before the Olympics—in this case in Fukuoka, Japan, in July of next year.

But now Fina has decided that only the top three teams in Fukuoka will qualify for the Olympics, and the rest of the places will be filled in Doha. For the Swedish part, the chances of actually qualifying next year are slim – although the women’s varsity team always has a chance of taking the medal.

“not stupid”

It is easy to believe that the change of rules in Vienna came after they realized that many countries were considering abandoning Doha.

– We can’t figure it out, but I guess they’re not stupid. Martina Aronson says:

– I think it’s an incredible shame to put a long-distance championship into an Olympic year, but as it is now, we’re going to Doha in February 2024 to fight for places for the Olympics.

Sarah Sjostrom is skeptical of the planning, but she didn’t say no to the competition at the time.

I will decide with my coach what is best for my preparation. But I’ve never been so afraid of competition. You could think of it as a readiness contest, but it varies from person to person. For me, it probably doesn’t interfere with my preparations, as I usually compete during that time of year, she says.

USA Swimming told Swimming World on Wednesday that its potential participation in Doha depends on next year’s results in Fukuoka.