Alshammar still going strong

DUBAI Therese Alshammar may have just turned 35, an age when swimmers contemplate retirement. But her eagerness to swim does not seem to be sinking as she prepares for another tough year.

“I enjoy swimming and I want to continue as long as my body can push,” said Alshammar, who is in Dubai to compete in the first round of the FINA/ARENA Swimming World Cup held at the Hamdan Bin Mohammad bin Rashid Sports Complex.

The Dubai competition is first of the eight-leg highly competitive World Cup series, which then moves on to Doha, Stockholm, Moscow, Berlin, Beijing, Tokyo and Singapore.

“I have registered for all the events this year again. But I might see how I feel. I had a few injuries and I’m feeling my age a bit more and I’m going to take it slower this year — not to set my goals so high,” said Alshammar, who became the oldest woman to win an individual gold medal at the long course World Championship when she won the 50m freestyle at the 2011 World Aquatics Championships in July.

The Swedish swimmer, who has taken the overall World Cup crowns for the past two years, made her Olympic debut in Sydney in 1996 where she won silver medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle. She made her fifth appearance at the Olympics in London but could not win any medals due to a pinched nerve in her neck. “I’m trying to enjoy one race at one time. The World Cup is such a fantastic event and you get to travel the world and you get to see a lot of fast swimmers in good environments and nice cities. I hope to enjoy it one step at a time,” said Alshammar, who won her first national title when she was just 14 in 1991.

Alshammar knows she does not have too many years to go and has her plans chalked out for the future. “I have many plans. As a swimmer I’m very content and very happy and privileged to be in this sport. I think it’s a wonderful time to just spend your days training.

“I have done other things. I have studied and have also done different jobs, besides my swimming career. At the moment I’m very happy swimming.

“I have also changed environments during my career to keep myself motivated. This year too I’m in a new environment and I hope it’s going to be a nice and successful year again.”

Interestingly her mother Britt-Marie Smedh was also a swimmer and took part in the Olympics. However, she stopped competing when she was 18. “My family backs me completely on what I’m doing,” she said.