When the deafening cheers have died down, when the spotlights on the podium have gone out and when the gold medal is no longer hanging around your neck, they often appear – the thoughts and reflections.

The key after winning is to find ways to unwind, to get some peace and quiet, and to let go of everything else. In a way, it can actually be easier to bounce back from a setback than a success.

I am often asked how I deal with setbacks – but success can be just as difficult. It's about not being left in that rush that occurs after a success, says Sarah Sjöström. Beyond the camera flashes and the euphoric feeling of victory, the world's fastest female swimmer speaks about a reality that many may not think about.

– When you finish first at a championship, you get to receive the cheers of the people, you go to the podium, you get congratulated by everything and everyone and you get interviewed in the media. It's incredibly intense.

But for Sarah Sjöström, the journey extends beyond these moments.

– Coming back to everyday life after a championship is so incredibly nice. Just finding the normal feeling, getting back to the cats, landing. If you don't succeed in that, you get that empty feeling that many athletes talk about. Wasn't there more? Is nothing happening anymore? Was that all?

Sarah Sjöström, who broke Michael Phelps' "impossible" medal record in July, knows what it feels like to be alone on the throne.

– After a success, it's like you're on a roller coaster for hours. The key after winning is to find ways to unwind, to get some peace and quiet and leave everything else behind. In a way, it can actually be easier to bounce back from a setback than a success. That rush isn't going to fix anything, it's just fun for the moment.

Michael Phelps is often called the "GOAT" of swimming, but since this summer, a Swede has won the most medals of all time. With her World Championship gold in the 50-meter freestyle, she passed Phelps in terms of individual World Championship medals in long course - a total of 21.

– It is an honor to be compared to him. He is in a class of his own. Although it may be difficult to draw direct comparisons – for example, he has participated in many World Championships and holds 28 Olympic medals while I have four – I feel very honored to be mentioned in the same context as him.

For Sarah Sjöström, it has always been important to carve out her own path. In the gym and in the pool, she has constantly tried to push the boundaries since her early teens.

– When you improve different aspects of your everyday life, including diet and sleep, for several weeks in a row over several years, it is ultimately the continuity that produces results. I rarely go around thinking about the Olympics or World Championships next year, I don't have time for that when I'm in my everyday life. The focus is on doing it as well as possible every day. Competition is such a small part of everything. It's the journey that is the goal.

Has it become more difficult to motivate yourself with age?

– No, it's probably always been hard to motivate yourself. I'm not saying it's boring, but I often wake up in the morning and think: 'oh god, how hard'... It's not like you come into the swimming pool that you've been to 150 times and cheer. It takes a while - but it's absolutely worth it. Once you get in the water, it's nice, just like the feeling when you've finished your workout. However, the way to the pool is often a bit challenging. But that's nothing new. The difference from before is that I know that it's not motivation that brings success, but how dedicated you are to following the plan.

In interviews, Sarah Sjöström usually insists that she is just trying to enjoy being an elite athlete. The question is just how she managed – and still manages – to balance the pressure and expectations with enjoying the process?

– The pressure has always been there – you have to perform. I have been aware of that since I started investing in swimming. It is nothing new to go into, for example, the World Championships final with high expectations. It is just a matter of finding different mental keys to be able to handle the pressure from yourself and from outside. I don't really go around thinking about what others expect.

You've said that part of your drive isn't just about winning, but enjoying what you do?

– Exactly. Once I stand behind the starting podium or dive into the pool, of course I do everything to win, there's no question about it. But it's not like I go around thinking about it 24/7. I've learned that you can't force anything at all, ever. I just try to find the flow.

Are you nervous when you compete?

– When I was younger, I could get nervous that I wouldn't perform at my best on the day of the competition. Now I feel confident that my minimum level is so high that I don't have to worry about it. And it can go well even though you are incredibly nervous. Sometimes I have been so nervous that my legs were shaking on the starting podium. Yet I have managed to finish and break the world record. In other cases, I have dived in without feeling any tingle – and broken the world record.

Sarah Sjöstrom

Bor In a villa outside the customs in Stockholm. 
Family The fiancé Johan. The cats Hanzo and Zorro. 
Make: Training for the Olympic swimming championships in Paris. And planning a wedding. 
Hidden talent: Floats well. 
Good books: It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover and The Housekeeper by Nita Prose.
Good TV: Emily in Paris, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Selling sunset. Exercises: Swimming and weight training. 
Best features: Persistent and uncomplicated. 
Odd interest: Right now cats and studying Italian.

So what happens in the brain doesn't matter that much?

– No, it can go just as well regardless of whether it feels good or hard. The thoughts in your head are just words in your head that pass by, and have nothing to do with your form. I feel like I can perform regardless of what feelings or thoughts come up.

You were in extremely good shape during the World Cup last summer, does that give you any extra confidence?

– Yes, that's exactly what I mean. If I do all the work required and come well prepared for the championship, there's no point in listening to thoughts. I just try to let it come and not force anything. It usually works out.

Sarah Sjöström grew up with several siblings and often emphasizes the importance of interacting with others. When she comes home after competitions and championships, she wants everything to ”just be as usual.”.

– It doesn't matter if I won the World Cup or the European Championship, there's still a fight about which TV channel it should be on. We're equals at home, and that's important to me, who broke through at a very young age. I was only 14 when I started winning the European Championship. There was a lot of commotion when I was on my way to the championship, and I had to answer questions about how my life would change now. But my family and everyone close to me have always been very keen to maintain the family feeling when I'm at home.

I hope I can keep swimming for many more years, and that I can find something that feels just as fun once this career is over.

Just the way you want it?

– Yes, otherwise there's a risk that success will go to one's head. My family has helped me stay grounded.

Even though Sarah Sjöström, who just turned 30, is at the peak of her career, she knows deep down that her best before date as a swimmer is approaching.

– What will my life be like after swimming? We'll see... I don't have a 100% plan for what's going to happen - I wonder who does? I hope I can keep swimming for many more years, and that I can find something that feels just as fun when this career is over. I probably won't get the same kick as at the championships, but at the same time it will be quite nice to get some peace and quiet from it. I've had enough kicks, even though it will probably feel strange to just stop. A bit like retiring.

What do you see ahead in the coming years?

– I hardly know what will happen next month. But as I understand it, it is probably between 30 and 40 that most people's lives change the most. I am getting married next summer. Hopefully I will have children before 40. During these years, someone else's life will be more important than my own. It will be really nice.