Wearing the cap of Sweden’s national team and standing
behind the block as the last of the freestyle relay swimmers, Malin
Svahnstrom grew increasingly nervous at the unexpected ““ her
team taking the lead, and even expanding the distance between team
Sweden and the competitors in the 800-meter race.
“We weren’t supposed to win,” Svahnstrom
said.
With these words from a world-class swimmer, Svahnstrom, a
junior and a world-class swimmer, recalled the European
Championships in 1999.Â
“I need to be a little bit nervous in competitions. That
helps me perform better,” Svahnstrom said. “But I think
that was the most nervous I’ve ever been.”
Her agitation grew until at last she leapt off the block to swim
the final laps and, overriding her anxieties, achieved a lifetime
best mark in the 200 meters. Being surrounded by professional
athletes and Olympians drove her to achieve her fastest speed.
“It’s different actually being there and seeing
people break world records,” Svahnstrom said.
“It’s really encouraging.”
She speaks from the experience of training on the same
prestigious club team since she was 12 years old, always with two
coaches leading her toward her goal. Svahnstrom, originally from
Upplands Vasby, Sweden, had already competed in the world
championships and the Olympics before joining the Bruin swim team
in 2001.
The surprises in her life have resulted in some of her greatest
experiences. Her competitions and even her first glimpse of UCLA
attest to that fact.Â
“I needed a change, and when I got to this school I was
just like, “˜Whoa …'” Svahnstrom said. The
expansive campus, the quality of the athletic facilities and the
department wowed her enough to make the leap from Sweden to Los
Angeles. There, UCLA allowed her to both concentrate on schoolwork
and train to fulfill her swimming aspirations.
In Westwood, her life is still pared down to the essentials. She
spends much of her time studying or swimming and finding the
precious moments in between to hang out with friends or travel.
She’s used to sacrificing for her goals.
“My traveling experience is limited,” Svahnstrom
said. “Most of the time, I get to see the world, but I
don’t get to be a tourist.”
Similarly, she missed the opening Olympic ceremony in Sydney to
swim with her team on the first day of competitions.
But Svahnstrom has no regrets.
“It makes it easier to keep that in mind, to get up at
5:30 in the morning every day to work on a goal that I really want
to reach,” said Svahnstrom.
Her focused attitude and intensity in swimming is just the kind
attitude that the Bruin swimmers appreciate. Dubbed the
“Malinator,” Svahnstrom was again in for a surprise
when her teammates voted her “Outstanding Newcomer”
this past year. She often competes with sophomore Lindsey Smart and
her other teammates in the pool to encourage competition.
“Malin is an inspiration to the team. She’s very
quiet and very motivated,” head coach Cyndi Gallagher
said.
“Her competitiveness drives the other swimmers to train
harder.”
For a swimmer who’s been surrounded by Olympians and
national athletes, Svahnstrom still finds herself challenged by her
Bruin teammates.
“It helps me motivate myself being around these people. It
provides competition,” Svahnstrom said. “I try to get
my results in the pool.”