Kick-off press conference

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Tomorrow, the second leg of the FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2017 will commence in Berlin, where the swimmers will be chasing medals and (world) records over two competition days. Most of the participants already arrived in the German capital and did their first trainings in the competition pool, amongst them Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), Chad le Clos (RSA) and Franziska Hentke (GER), who attended the kick-off press conference this afternoon.

Sjostrom seems to be quite confident after her two short course World Records in the 50m and 100m free, set at the first leg in Moscow, and sees herself „in good shape these days“. She expects to swim fast in Berlin as well, but due to the short slot of rest before the 50m free, it is more feasible for her to break the 50m fly World Record, if she „can do a good turn.“ Even if training is really hard sometimes, it’s also fun and that is why she is swimming: „I love it, that’s why I do it!“ Thus, she also would love to do the whole series of the World Cup 2017 with all its eight legs.

South African short course lover Chad le Clos did this already last season and is happy to be back in Berlin as it has a „fast pool and great people“ on offer. He will see how the heats are going here, but also has the goal to get as close to a World Record time as possible.

Franziska Hentke did not yet realise her medal from the World Championships in Budapest, which she expects to happen only after the next leg in Eindhoven, but she is definitely fine with it. Whilst other swimmers considered the World Champs as the (only) highlight of the season, she also attaches much importance to the Swimming World Cup series 2017 and considers it feasible to keep the form therefor. She has planned to take part in the first and third cluster of the series whereas doing an altitude training camp during the second.

Tomorrow and Monday will show, if these three swimmers and all their fellow participants here at the World Cup can reach their goals and if and which new records can be witnessed.

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