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Sweden Adds 2 to Olympic Squad; USC’s Gardell Downs Record

The Swedish Olympic Committee has added two more swimmers officially to their 2012 London Olympic Squad, according to an announcement today. Martina Granstrom, on the strength of her 2:08.81 200 fly at the Swedish Grand Prix in Stockholm this past weekend, has been added; as has Jennie Johansson thanks to a 1:07.10 in the 100 breaststroke at the British Olympic Trials last month.

Granstrom has been on fire for the last year. In addition to that 200 fly swim last week, she also marked a 58.65 in the 100 fly and a 2:15.10 in the 200 IM: both of which are lifetime bests.

The pair now join Therese Alshammar and Sarah Sjostrom, who were named last November, as the four official members of the Swedish Olympic Swim Team. The Committee also announced a 4×100 free relay would be sent, though no names were attached to it.

Left off of the squad still is USC Trojan swimmer Stina Gardell, who this past weekend in Mission Viejo at the Fran Crippen Memorial Swim Meet of Champions crushed her own National Record in the 400 IM. Her 4:40.16 took down the 4:41.83 that she swam last April at the Eric Namesnik Grand Prix in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Gardell now has a FINA Automatic Qualifying Time, as well as the 9 fastest times in Swedish History. With a swim at the European Championships (where she could seal up her Olympic spot as well), she should make that an even 10 with anything better than a 4:46.

Also at that Grand Prix, Sweden’s John Skagius Sundsvall set a new Swedish Junior Record in the men’s 100 breaststroke with a 1:02.63, which broke his own mark.

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Nordic
12 years ago

Sweden has specific selection criteria. You need to be ranked top 8 in order to get a nomination.

Sweden has a total of eight swimmers who have done the Fina AQ time (6 girls, 2 men) of which 4 are given green light to swim in London.
But probably will Stina and the other three have their nomination in early June.

JackedAndTan
12 years ago

His name is Johannes Skagius, Sundsvall is his club.

Do you know how the Swedes select their swimmers since Gardell still hasn’t officially qualified? Do they use Europeans as their deadline?

SwimSam
12 years ago

Gardell looked very good at MV. Seemed as though she could have had a bit more the end of some races had she been pushed to the finish.

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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