Sigfrid Edström
Encyclopedia
Johannes Sigfrid Edström (November 21, 1870 – March 18, 1964) was a Swedish
industrialist, chairman of the Sweden-America Foundation
, and an official with the International Olympic Committee
.
, Bohuslän
. He studied at Chalmers University of Technology
in Gothenburg
, where he graduated in 1891, and continued studying at ETH Zurich
in Switzerland
, and the United States
. In his youth, he was a top sprinter, capable of finishing the 100 m in 11 seconds. He was the director of the Gothenburg tram
s from 1900 to 1903, where he was in charge of electrifying them, and of the electrotechnical company ASEA
from 1903 to 1933, and president of ASEA's board from 1934 until 1939.
Edström was involved in Swedish sports administration, and helped organize the 1912 Summer Olympics
in Stockholm
. During the Olympics, the International Amateur Athletics Federation
(IAAF) was established, and Edström was elected its first president, a position that he held until 1946.
(IOC) in 1920, and after holding a position on the Executive Committee, became vice-president in 1931. When IOC president Henri de Baillet-Latour
died in 1942, Edström was the acting president until the end of World War II
, when he was formally elected president. He played an important role in reviving the Olympic Movement after the war. In 1952, he retired from this position and was succeeded by Avery Brundage
.
In 1931, Edström was involved in the controversial decision to ban Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi
from competing at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, as he saw Nurmi as a professional athlete. This affected Finland's relationship to Sweden negatively as Paavo Nurmi was considered a Finnish national hero.
He died in Stockholm
on March 18, 1964.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
industrialist, chairman of the Sweden-America Foundation
Sweden-America Foundation
The Sweden-America Foundation is a Swedish foundation which provides fellowships to younger Swedes for scientific and cultural work in the United States and Canada.-History:...
, and an official with the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
.
Early life
Edström was born in the tiny village of Morlanda, on the island of OrustOrust
Orust is an island in western Sweden, and Sweden's third largest island. The largest town on Orust is Henån, where approximately 1,800 inhabitants live...
, Bohuslän
Bohuslän
' is a Swedish traditional province, or landskap, situated in Götaland on the northernmost part of the country's west coast. It is bordered by Dalsland to the northeast, Västergötland to the southeast, the Skagerrak arm of the North Sea to the west, and the county of Østfold in Norway to the north...
. He studied at Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology
Chalmers University of Technology , is a Swedish university located in Gothenburg that focuses on research and education in technology, natural science and architecture.-History:...
in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
, where he graduated in 1891, and continued studying at ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In his youth, he was a top sprinter, capable of finishing the 100 m in 11 seconds. He was the director of the Gothenburg tram
Gothenburg tram
The Gothenburg tram network is part of the public transport system organised by Göteborgs Spårvägar AB, controlled by Västtrafik in the Swedish city of Gothenburg...
s from 1900 to 1903, where he was in charge of electrifying them, and of the electrotechnical company ASEA
ASEA
Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget was a Swedish industry company. It merged with the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie in 1988 to form Asea Brown Boveri...
from 1903 to 1933, and president of ASEA's board from 1934 until 1939.
Edström was involved in Swedish sports administration, and helped organize the 1912 Summer Olympics
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. During the Olympics, the International Amateur Athletics Federation
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
(IAAF) was established, and Edström was elected its first president, a position that he held until 1946.
President of the IOC
He became a member of the International Olympic CommitteeInternational Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) in 1920, and after holding a position on the Executive Committee, became vice-president in 1931. When IOC president Henri de Baillet-Latour
Henri de Baillet-Latour
Count Henri de Baillet-Latour was a Belgian aristocrat and the third president of the International Olympic Committee....
died in 1942, Edström was the acting president until the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when he was formally elected president. He played an important role in reviving the Olympic Movement after the war. In 1952, he retired from this position and was succeeded by Avery Brundage
Avery Brundage
Avery Brundage was an American amateur athlete, sports official, art collector, and philanthropist. Brundage competed in the 1912 Olympics and was the US national all-around athlete in 1914, 1916 and 1918...
.
In 1931, Edström was involved in the controversial decision to ban Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Johannes Nurmi was a Finnish runner. Born in Turku, he was known as one of the "Flying Finns," a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola, and others for their distinction in running...
from competing at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, as he saw Nurmi as a professional athlete. This affected Finland's relationship to Sweden negatively as Paavo Nurmi was considered a Finnish national hero.
He died in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
on March 18, 1964.
External links
- International Olympic Committee profiles for presidents
- International Olympic Committee article
- Yttergren, Leif. 2006 J. Sigfrid Edstrøm and the Nurmi Affair of 1932: The Struggle of the Amateur Fundamentalists Against Professionalism in the Olympic Movement. Proceedings of Eighth International Symposium for Olympic Research, 2006 pp. 111-126