TEAMBOK – LONDON 2012 1 Media Guide Sweden This Booklet, presented and published by the Swedish Olympic Committee is intended to assist members of the media at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad. Information is of July 1st 2012. For late changes in the team, please see www.sok.se. Location In northern Europe, on the east side of the Scandinavian Peninsula, with coastline on the North and Baltic seas and the Gulf of Bothnia. Neighbours Norway on the East. Mountains along Northwest border cover 25 percent Offi cial name Konungariket Sverige (Kingdom of Sweden). of Sweden. Flat or rolling terrain covers central and southern areas Area 528 447 km2 (173 732 sq. miles). Rank in the world: 56. wich includes several large lakes. Population 9 486 591 Capital Stockholm Form of government Constitutional monarchy and parliamentary state with one legislative house (Parliament with 349 seats). Current constitution force since January 1st, 1975. Chief of state King Carl XVI Gustaf, since 1973. Head of government Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, since 2006. Offi cial language Swedish. Monetary unit 1 Swedish krona (SEK) = 100 öre. (Valuation July 2012). 1 USD= 7,36 SEK, 1 EUR= 9,10 SEK. TEAMBOK – LONDON 2012 2 Ansvarig utgivare Björn Folin, 08-402 68 05, [email protected] Adress Sveriges Olympiska Kommitté, Olympiastadion, Sofiatornet, 114 33 Stockholm Tel 08-402 68 00 Fax 08-402 60 18 www.sok.se Layout Elanders Tryck Elanders 2012 TEAMBOK – LONDON 2012 3 The Swedish Olympic Committee 4 Sweden and the Olympic Games 7 Swedish medallists in Olympic Summer Games 8 Arenor i London 32 London 2012 – dag för dag 35 Swedish Olympic Team 93 Media 127 TEAMBOK – LONDON 2012 4 The Swedish Olympic Committee (Sveriges Olympiska Kommitté, SOK) Sveriges Olympiska Kommitté, SOK, is the President supreme authority of Sweden in all Olympic Stefan Lindeberg. matters. SOK comprises of 36 National Olym­ pic Sports Associations as well as of 14 associa­ Vice president tions of “recognized sports”. Tomas Gustafson and Carin Nilsson Green. The Swedish Olympic Committee was es tablished in 1913. The annual meeting Mem bers: follow ing the Olympic Games appoints an Maria Damgren, Bengt Jönsson, Mervi Kart­ Executive Board for a period of four years. tunen, Jerker Löfgren, Per Palmström, Hans The main tasks for the Swedish Olympic von Uthman. Committee are the following: • Development of top level sports. IOC-members • Talent detection and development of top Gunilla Lindberg (also Secretary General of level sports. the Swedish NOC) and Göran Petersson. • Preparation for and selection to the Olym­ pic Games. Olympic candidates • Responsible for the Swedish participation Being nominated as a candidate for the in the Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Olympic Games implies that SOK, together Games (YOG) and the European Youth with the Olympic Sport Associations, consider Olympic Festival (EYOF). the nominees, at the time for selection, to be • Participation in the international work in qualified to take part in the Olympic Games. boards, congresses, seminairs and working The status of an Olympic candidate is groups within the Olympic Movement. re viewed annually. • Bilateral cooperation with other Olympic Committees. Selection rules • Demands for governmental subsides. The SOK Executive Board selects Olympic • Olympic Marketing Program, national and participants following proposals from and after international. discussions with the Olympic Sports Associa­ • Grants to the National Olympic Sports tions. To be selected as an Olympic competi­ Associations from the marketing program. tor in the Olympics, an individual must show results sufficient to compete for places 1­8, and The executive board, implementing the SOK­ team results must be sufficient to compete for programme, meets 8­10 times a year. It consists a place among the top six. of the President and eight members elected by Qualifying for the Olympics in special the Annual Meeting and the IOC­members in Olympic qualifying rounds are automatic ally Sweden. nominated for the games. TEAMBOK – LONDON 2012 5 Successive SOK Presidents and Vice Presidents Presidents Vice Presidents 1913-33 HRH Prince Royal Gustaf Adolf 1913-28 Viktor G.Balck and J. Sigfrid Edström 1933-47 HRH Prince Gustaf Adolf 1928-48 J. Sigfrid Edström 1947-97 HRH Prince Bertil 1949-66 Bo Ekelund 1997-00 Carl-Gustav Anderberg 1966-96 Gunnar Ericsson 2000- Stefan Lindeberg 2000-2011 Tomas Gustafson, Björn Rosengren 2011- Tomas Gustafson, Carin Nilsson Green Sweden and the International History Olympic Movement Svenska Gymnastikförbundet, in 1896, and a When Pierre de Coubertin invited personal­ committee appointeed by Sveriges Allmänna ities and organisations to support his move Idrottsförbund (later named Sveriges Cen­ to wards re­establishing the Olympic Games, tralförening för Idrottens Främjande ), in he included the Royal Swedish Court. 1900, were responsible for Swedish participa­ On May 1st, 1894, the marshal of the Court tion in the two first Olympic Games. wrote to Coubertin: “By order of HRH the The first Swedish Olympic Committee was Prince Royal of Sweden and Norway, I have founded on November 2nd 1905, in order to the honour to inform you that HRH has the prepare a team for the 1906 intercalated games. pleas ure in accepting patronage of the Interna­ “The Swedish Organising Committee” chaired tional Athletics Congress from the 16thto the by Colonel Viktor G. Balck, was dissolved at 24th June 1894 wich you have so kindly offered the end of 1906. For participating in the 1908 him …” games, a Swedish Committee, 1907­1908, was Having won this support, Coubertin then headed by HRH Prince Royal Gustaf Adolf turned to the Central Gymnastic Institute in (the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, reigning Stockholm, and of its Director, at the time 1953­1973). Another committee, also led by Captain Viktor G. Balck (1844­1928). Balck Balck, was formed in 1909 to take the respon­ be came an honorary member of the Organising sibility for the organisation of the Games of Committee for the 1894 Sorbonnne Congress the Vth Olympiad in Stockholm and for the at wich the International Olympic Committee participation of the Swedish team in 1912. was founded. Attending the Congress were two In its present form SOK was formed on Swedish delegates, representing Svenska Gym­ April 27th 1913, and the statues now in force nastikförbundet, Lieutenant Fredrik Bergh and were adopted by the Annual Meeting 2011. Major Sten Adalrik Drakenberg. TEAMBOK – LONDON 2012 6 Two IOC sessions have been held in Sweden nation for the Games of the XXX Olympiad and Stockholm, the 15th session in 1912 and in London 2012 (2005­), Coordination for the 41st session in 1947, the 2nd meeting of the the XXII Olympic Winter Games in Sochi Executive Board with the International Fed­ 2014 (2007­), Coordination for the Games of erations was also held in Stockholm. The IOC the XXXI Olympiad in Rio de Janeiro 2016 Executive Board has met in Stockholm three (2010­) Coordination for the XXII Olympic times in 1947, 1956 and 1988. Winter Games in PyeongChang 2018 (Chair­ Gunilla Lindberg is member of the IOC man). executive board and the following Commis­ Arne Ljunqvist is member of the Medical sions: Press (1997­), Olympic Programme Commission (1987­2003) and Chairman since (1998­), Olympic Solidarity (2005­), Coordi­ 2003. n Elevens swedes have been or are IOC members Viktor G. Balck 1894-1920 (Founded member) Clarence von Rosen 1900-1948 J. Sigfrid Edström 1920-1952 Executive Board member 1921-1952. Vice President 1939-1946 (acting President 1942-1946. Honorary. President until his death in 1964. Bo Ekelund 1948-1956 Executive Board member 1957-1962. Honorary member until his death in 1983. Gustaf Dryssen 1952-1970 Honorary member until his death in 1981. Gunnar Ericsson 1965-1966 Executive Board member 1988-1992. Honorary member 1966-. Sven Thofelt 1970-1976 Honorary member until his death in 1993. Matts Carlgren 1976-1992 Honorary member until his death in 1999. Arne Ljungqvist 1994-2012 Honorary member Gunilla Lindberg 1996- Executive Board member 2000-. IOC Vice President 2004-. Pernilla Wiberg 2002-2010 Göran Petersson 2009 TEAMBOK – LONDON 2012 7 Sweden and the Olympic Games Sweden has attended all Olympic Games with In the 26 Olympic Games 1896­2004 and the sole exceptions of the St Louis Games in the 20 Olympic Winter Games 1924­2006 1904. more than 12 200 medals (including arts com­ In 1896, Henrik Sjöberg, a candidate of petition 1912­1948) has been awarded. medi­cine, made the long journey from Stock­ Sweden has taken 570,5 of these medals holm to the Greek capital – partly on his own (including 184,5 gold) and holds 6th in the expense – to participate in four athletic events unofficial ranking. (high jump finishing 4th, long jump 6th, dis­ Swedish Olympians form the Association cus 7th, and 100 m where he was eliminated of Swedish Olympians. In June this year 800 in the first round) and one gymnastic event of 1500 olympians met in Stockholm to cele­ (horse vault – placing unknown). brate the 100 years anniversary of the Olympic The first Swedish woman in Olympic Games in Stockholm 1912. competition was Elsa Wallenberg in the 1908 The Games of the 5th Olympiad was held indoor tennis tournament in London. in Stockholm in 1912. The stadium built for The first Olympic medal was of gold and these Games was also used for the Equestrian won by August Nilsson, Karl­Gustaf Staff and Games of the XVI Olympiad in 1956. Gustaf Söderström together with three Danes The Olympic Stadium is also the home for in a tug­war team on July 15th 1900 in Paris. the Swedish Olympic Committee. Sweden has also attended all Olympic Stockholm was candidate city for the orga­ Winter games and was also represented in the nisation of the Games of the XXVIII Olym­ winter sports events held in 1908 (figure ska­ piad in 2004.