World Champion Darya Klepikova Opens Up About Battling Flu Before Sannikov Cup

World swimming champion **[Darya Klepikova](https://www.example.com)** announced that she was afflicted with the flu just before the start of the 2025 Salychnikov Cup. Despite her illness, she managed to secure victory in the 100-meter freestyle event in Saint Petersburg with a time of 52.28 seconds.

«When it comes to rating my performance at the Salychnikov Cup on a scale of five, I’d honestly give it a three minus… I’m glad I won, but I didn’t anticipate producing such results, which feel inadequate for me. Things didn’t quite go as planned. I don’t want to make excuses, but I was ill for a couple of days before the Cup.

The flu was going around, and I caught it. It threw me off balance, and it’s disappointing that I couldn’t achieve a better time here. If I reflect on the overall outcomes of the year, it has been successful. However, there’s still a lingering feeling after each competition because I’m aware of my mistakes and immediately start thinking about how and where I can improve them,» Klepikova stated in an interview with sports journalist Rustam Imamov from «Championat.»