Swimming: Bruin swimmer joins Olympic team

UCLA senior Malin Svahnstrom will swim in 800m free relay for Sweden

David Woods (Contact)
Published: Monday, July 26, 2004

Her teammates call her the Malinator.

Now, she may be known simply as Olympian.

Malin Svahnstrom, a UCLA senior and member of the 2004 Swedish National swimming team, qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

She will compete in the 800-meter freestyle relay after posting a time of 2:02.96 in the 200m freestyle at the Swedish Nationals last week.

“It feels great,” Svahnstrom said. “It’s always a special feeling to represent your country. I wasn’t sure I made it until they announced the whole team at the end of the meet.”

Svahnstrom already has one Olympic Games under her belt; she competed in the prelims of the 400m freestyle relay at the 2000 Sydney games where her team took home the bronze medal.

“I wasn’t happy with my swim there,” Svahnstrom said, “so after that I decided that I wanted to go to the Olympics again so that I would get another chance to perform better.”

Svahnstrom believes that the 800m relay suits her better than the 400m relay.

Svahnstrom had 10 months to qualify for the Swedish Olympic team, unlike those qualifying for the U.S. team, who had to compete at the Olympic trials this past July.

She said she had a good chance to qualify at the European Championships in May, but failed to swim fast enough.

“I knew I had a good chance to make the team going into the Nationals,” Svahnstrom said. “But I was in no way sure of making the team.”

Cyndi Gallagher, Svahnstrom’s coach for three years at UCLA, had nothing but positive things to say about her.

“Malin trained really hard, harder than anyone,” Gallagher said. “She’s always all business about swimming. She really deserved this. I’ve been lucky to have her for three years.”

Svahnstrom has been swimming since she was eight years old and has competed under the tutelage of UCLA alumna Ulrika Sandmark. In her career at UCLA, she has set the 200m I.M. record on two different occasions, including the time that now stands at 1:59.58.

Whatever the outcome of the Olympics, Svahnstrom sees making the team as an honor in itself.

“I know there are a lot of talented athletes around the world who work very hard but maybe do not make an Olympic team, so I feel very privileged.”