Sport in Sweden

Sport is considered a national pastime in Sweden, and about half of the population actively takes part in sports activities. The most important all-embracing organisations for sports in Sweden are the Swedish Sports Confederation, and the Swedish Olympic Committee. In total over 2,000,000 people (about 20% of the total population) are members of a sports club.

The sports with most participants are football, golf, gymnastics and athletics, while the sports with the largest number of television spectators are football, ice hockey, golf, motor sport (especially speedway) and athletics. Winter sports are also popular, both in the number of participants and in spectators, while floorball gained large popularity in the 1990s amongst participants, spectators really grew in the last 5 years to outnumber other team sports amongst the spectators. Other popular sports include bandy, basketball, handball, orienteering, tennis and table tennis. Except for basketball, the American sports haven't gained much popularity, although American football and baseball is practised.

Popular recreational sports and activities include brännboll (popular in schools), boule, kubb, skiing, swimming, gymnastics, walking, running, cycling, dancing, fishing and hunting.

History

The Swedish sport movement can be traced back to the early 19th century and the Pehr Ling gymnastics, a recreational movement that would keep its position as the largest fitness activity in Sweden many years into the 20th century. It was also the main sport activity practised in schools through half that century. The sport movement took its first steps in the 1880s and 90s, when for example football, bandy and athletics took its first steps in Sweden towards becoming modern sports.

The first public orienteering competition in Sweden was held in 1901 (see History of orienteering). Today, orienteering is one of the most popular sports in Sweden, attracting more than 100,000 runners. [ [http://www.sverigeturism.se/smorgasbord/smorgasbord/natrecspo/sports/popular.html#orienteering sverigeturism.se] ]

Prominent athletes and teams

For a small nation, Sweden has top results in many different sports.

Association football

Some current internationally acclaimed football players from Sweden include Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrik Larsson and Fredrik Ljungberg. Historically acclaimed football stars include the trio of players known as Gre-No-Li who still enjoy legendary status in Italy's AC Milan. Gre-No-Li were the 1950s football players called Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm.

The Swedish national football team has seen some success at the World Cup, finishing second when they hosted the tournament in 1958, and third twice, in 1950 and 1994. Their best showing in the European Football Championship came when Sweden hosted 1992 European Football Championship. They reached the semifinals. Something Swedes are proud of is that England has not defeated Sweden since 1968. Revered in Italy and England is Sven-Göran Eriksson, the Swede who led the England national team until his resignation after the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Ice hockey

The men's national hockey team has won the World Championships seven times, and Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 2006. The women's national hockey team won bronze medals in the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2005 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships, and a silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Famous Swedish NHL hockey players include Mats Sundin, Thomas Steen, Markus Näslund, Peter Forsberg, Daniel Alfredsson, Henrik Zetterberg, Henrik Lundqvist, Nicklas Lidström, Börje Salming and Pelle Lindbergh.

Skiing

In skiing sports, Ingemar Stenmark, Pernilla Wiberg and Anja Pärson have all dominated alpine skiing at some point, and so have Sixten Jernberg, Gunde Svan and Thomas Wassberg in cross-country skiing. In ski jumping, Jan Boklöv revolutionised the sport with his new V-style technique.

Track and field

A number of Swedes have been internationally successful in athletics. In the 1940s runner Gunder Hägg dominated middle distance. In recent years, stars include high jumpers such as the European record holder Patrik Sjöberg, Olympic and World Championships medalist Kajsa Bergqvist, and Athens Olympic gold medallist Stefan Holm. Two other Swedish athletes won gold medals in the 2004 Olympic Games: heptathlete Carolina Klüft and triple jumper Christian Olsson.

Others

Successful tennis players include former world No. 1's Björn Borg, Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg.

Other famous Swedish athletes include the heavyweight boxing champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer - Ingemar Johansson; World Golf Hall of Famer - Annika Sörenstam and multiple World Championships and Olympics medalist in table tennis - Jan-Ove Waldner.

Anders Holmertz, Stefan Nystrand, Therese Alshammar, Anna-Karin Kammerling, Emma Igelström are some of the renowned swimmers, who has been successful in both Olympics and World Championships.

Notable in motorsports are: Multiple Speedway World Champion Tony Rickardsson; British Touring Car Champion Rickard Rydell and the IRL and Indy 500 champion Kenny Bräck, F1 Grand Prix winner, Ronnie Peterson and Björn Waldegård who won the Safari Rally in 1977, the Monte Carlo Rally in 1969 and 1970 as well as the British RAC Rally in 1977.

Sweden has also been internationally successful in equestrian (Malin Baryard), golf (Jesper Parnevik, Annika Sörenstam) and speed-skating.

Olympic games

Sweden has a prominent record in both the summer and winter Olympics. Sweden hosted the 1912 Summer Olympics and the equestrian events of the 1956 Summer Olympics.

pectator sports

The greatest spectator sports in Sweden are football (Allsvenskan) and ice hockey (Elitserien), together with regional specialties such as bandy and speedway. Handball, floorball and basketball are also somewhat popular in certain cities and areas.

Events

* Open to everyone
** Vasaloppet
** Lidingöloppet
** Vansbrosimningen
** Vätternrundan
** Stockholm Marathon
**O-Ringen
* Open to elite only
** DN-galan
** Sweden Hockey Games
* Elite leagues
** Allsvenskan
** Elitserien
** Obol Basketball League

See also

* Indoor venues in Sweden

External links

* [http://www.rf.se/t3.asp?p=17080 Swedish Sports Confederation]
* [http://www.sok.se/?open&f=F16&mid=200..expand& Swedish Olympic Committee]

References