Sarah Sjostrom Leads a Handful of Comebacks to Follow During the 2026 Season
The 2026 season could be one remembered for stars returning to the big stage and beginning the journey toward the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Swimming fans will have the chance to follow several comebacks this season, including the return of Adam Peaty. The British star opted to take time away following the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and has already returned to action. Over the weekend, Peaty won the 50-meter breaststroke at the Edinburgh International Meet, a long-course competition that followed his short-course appearances at the World Cup last fall.
Peaty is expected to race in the big pool again this weekend at the Giant Open in Paris. From there, eyes will watch as Peaty prepares to race at the European Championships in Paris. Peaty did not compete at the past two editions of Euros, which were held in Rome and Belgrade, respectively.
Another exciting comeback to follow will be that of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom. The sprint legend has been a staple on the gobal scene for more than a decade, but took a hiatus in 2025. There was a wonderful reason for Sjostrom’s absence, as she welcomed her first child. Shortly after giving birth, the Swede returned to training and even went on a training camp to South Africa. Sharing her swimming and gym workouts on social media over the last few weeks, Sjostrom is clearly working hard as she prepares for a return to competition – perhaps in Paris for the European Champs.
Another swimmer working on a comeback is Arno Kamminga. The 30-year-old from the Netherlands decided to take a break from swimming in 2025 and moved to Hong Kong for a fresh start. With the Euros being the top competition for 2026, Kamminga started racing early in his return by targeting short-course meets, one of them being the European Short Championships in Lublin. Last month, Kamminga competed in Dubai, and he is enhancing his condition to emerge in top form this summer.
There is mystery surrounding Kristof Milak. The Hungarian is the reigning European champion in the 100 and 200 butterfly, but it is uncertain if he will try to defend his titles in Paris. He didn’t travel to Singapore for Worlds last summer and if he misses Euros as well, one must wonder whether Milak truly has intentions to make a run at LA28.