The journey that the Swedish long jumper has made on her way to the Indoor World Championships in Toruń, Poland, has been tough.
The talent has been there, unfortunately so have the injury problems.
This led her to make the drastic decision to change her take-off foot for last year's season and start jumping with her left foot instead of her right foot.
It was, above all, a journey against the doubts of others.
"I get so emotional because this means so much to me," she says, tears streaming down her cheeks.
There were so many who doubted me. But I didn't give a damn about what other people thought and that's why I dared to jump, even though I embarrassed myself when I jumped 6.30m - far below my previous performance. I have come here and jump as I do today because I dared to do the embarrassing thing.
"I am so grateful"
She came to Toruń, where she took bronze at the 2021 European Indoor Championships, as the 17th and final long jumper. And she proved that it is possible to change your take-off foot late in your career, as evidenced by her fourth place at the World Championships.
I'm so happy. I had so much fun with this whole process. I don't think anyone understands how happy I am to be standing here today and competing. I'm so grateful.
The move to Karlstad, where Anders Möller became her coach, turned out to be a stroke of luck. Sagnia and Möller never doubted, despite worse results last year. The indoor season, and especially the World Championships, showed that Sagnia is on her way to the form she had four years ago. Not since 2022, when she set her personal best of 6.95, has she jumped as far as she did in Toruń. And not since the 2022 season has she done a competition with so many good jumps. In the World Championships, she jumped four times between 6.70 and 6.78.
Could hold it together
One of the reasons, she says, is that she didn't celebrate so loudly when she hit 6.78m in the first jump.
Before, I might have been "woo" and all over the place. Now I could hold it together and keep delivering long jumps.
Now she's looking forward to the outdoor season and jokes that she can keep going until she's 50.
I take it year by year. I have to feel how my body feels and how passionate I am about it.
Agate de Sousa of Portugal won with 6.92m.
