The Swedish swimming star has not competed at a higher level since the EC in Rome in August.
She chose to sit out the short track season and has been at home a lot.
- It has been nice.
I had a very intense competitive period after the Tokyo Olympics and competed more than I ever had before.
Then there were two championships in the summer of 2022. Plus I moved house, so it was quite a lot at once, says Sarah Sjöström.
How big a difference has there been in the amount of training?
- Not that big of a difference really.
Maybe two or three swimming sessions less per week, but at the same time I did more land training.
But a little lower volume and intensity.
I didn't feel like I lost much on it.
The body remembers what it is supposed to do.
Has been pulled with a back shot
Actually, the plan was to make a competitive comeback in Luxembourg in January, but then a back shot got in the way.
Problems the 29-year-old has been involved in before and has adapted to, among other things through a delayed starting movement.
How much do your back problems bother you?
- Very little anyway.
I get sore, but then it goes away after a week or two.
Now the body feels good, so it's just a matter of driving.
"Very hard physical work"
After this weekend's competitions in Marseille, where Sarah Sjöström is entered for the 50 meter butterfly, 100 meter freestyle and 50 meter backstroke, competitions in Nice and Paris also await.
The big goal of the season is the World Championships in long track in Fukuoka, Japan in July.
And how is the house renovation going?
- It's fine!
There are a lot of choices to be made and a lot of hard physical work.
We haven't done much of the construction, we've mostly demolished and so on.
There are many choices with it moving forward a little all the time.