Cooling jackets, cooling collars, extra fans – and five to six liters of water per day.
This is how Sarah Sjöström and the other Swedish swimmers will deal with the sweltering heat at EC in Rome – their first outdoor tournament in 13 years.
It’s important to be prepared as well as possible, says national team doctor Charlotte Wallen.
When the national swimming team took over the Piazzale of Rome on Monday, the thermometer showed 37 degrees.
It was a little cooler on Tuesday – 32 degrees “only” – and in the afternoon a warm thunderstorm.
But forecasts for the coming days speak of temperatures in excess of 30 degrees and plenty of sunshine.
Swimmers are used to competing indoors, but in Rome, the outdoor venues at Foro Italico are in the same pool used in the 1960 Olympics.
This is the first time a major championship swims outdoors since the 2009 water course in Rome.
“I’ve never been in it,” says 25-year-old Louise Hanson, the 100-meter butterfly gold medalist.
“Big challenge”
What would be the most important thing?
Mainly for drinking and staying in the shade. It may be days before you can sit outside for a few minutes, but for the next few days it’s important to stay in the shade and try to maintain fluid balance. That’s the big challenge, says Louise Hanson.
There have been rumors that organizers will put a temporary roof, tarp or similar, over the pool, but Swedish Press Director Anna Hammar says they have so far been met with evasive answers when asked.
However, the Swedish national team has prepared properly, both through meetings on the matter and additional equipment, says the national team doctor, Charlotte Wallen.
The national swimming team has received support from the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) and is using its preparations for the Olympics in Tokyo.
—Even in terms of equipment, we’ve borrowed cooling jackets, collars that you fill with cooling items, and then have towels that you dip in cold water for a cooling effect, says Wallen and demonstrates a saliva counter connected to an app that’s used to track swimmers’ fluid levels on an ongoing basis.
“Five and six liters a day”
It will be important to fill up on fluids and stay out of the sun.
For normal people at home in Sweden, a few liters of water are used per day and this increases the number of complications when you are outdoors and doing physical activity. It could be a need of up to five to six liters a day, but it’s very individual, says Wallen and continues:
We have a good recovery area in the stadium with a big roof and fans, and we brought in extra fans from Sweden, so we have the best possible environment.
Of course, it is important to limit the time outdoors, and this is the most important thing, to plan your races and days, and not to hang out in the heat unnecessarily.