Sport in Sweden
Encyclopedia
Sport is considered a national pastime in Sweden, and about half of the population actively takes part in sport
s 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 handball
, football
, golf
, gymnastics
and athletics, while the sports with the largest number of television spectators are football, ice hockey
, handball, golf, motor sport (especially speedway
) and athletics. Football is the main sport. 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 sport
s amongst the spectators. Other popular sports include bandy
, basketball
, orienteering
, tennis
and table tennis
. Except for basketball, the American sports have not gained much popularity, although American football
and baseball
are practised.
Popular recreation
al sports and activities include brännboll
(popular in schools), boule
, kubb
, skiing
, swimming, gymnastics
, walking
, running
, cycling
, dancing, fishing
and hunting
.
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 practiced 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.
, Johan Elmander
, and Zlatan Ibrahimović
. Historically acclaimed football stars include the trio of players known as Gre-No-Li
, who still enjoy legendary status for Italy
's Milan
. Gre-No-Li were the 1950s football players called Gunnar Gren
, Gunnar Nordahl
, and Nils Liedholm
. Other previously active footballs stars include Henrik Larsson
, Glenn Strömberg
and Fredrik Ljungberg
.
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 as Sweden hosted 1992 European Football Championship. They reached the semi-finals. 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 English national team until his resignation after the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. They also hosted the UEFA U-21 European Championships this summer, losing out in the semi-finals on penalties against England. Only one Swedish team has ever won the UEFA Cup
— IFK Göteborg
— who won in 1982 and 1987.
has won the World Championships
eight 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 Peter Forsberg
, Mats Sundin
, Nicklas Lidström
, Markus Näslund
, Daniel Alfredsson
, Henrik Sedin
, Daniel Sedin
, Börje Salming
, Henrik Zetterberg
, Nicklas Bäckström
, Henrik Lundqvist
, Patrik Berglund
, Thomas Steen
, and Pelle Lindbergh
.
" in the nineteenth century was a variant of association football with some rugby elements. By 1900, Swedish football clubs were using the Football Association's rules with no rugby influence. However, rugby union proper was introduced into Sweden between the world wars by visiting British vessels.
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.
. In the 1940s runners Gunder Hägg
, Arne Andersson
, and Lennart Strand
dominated middle distance running
. In recent years, stars include high jump
ers such as World Champion and European record holder Patrik Sjöberg
, World Champion and Olympic medalist Kajsa Bergqvist
, and Athens Olympic gold medalist Stefan Holm
. Two other Swedish athletes won gold medals in the 2004 Olympic Games: heptathlete
Carolina Klüft
and triple jump
er Christian Olsson
. Susanna Kallur is the World record holder for the indoor 60m hurdles set in 2008.
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 Fame
r - Ingemar Johansson
; World Golf Hall of Fame
r - Annika Sörenstam
and multiple World Championships and Olympics medalist in table tennis
- Jan-Ove Waldner
.
Arne Borg
, Gunnar Larsson, Anders Holmertz
, Stefan Nystrand
, Therese Alshammar
, Anna-Karin Kammerling
, Emma Igelström
are some of the renowned swimmers, who have been successful in Olympics and/or World Championships.
Perhaps one of the least well known sports in Sweden is called rashering. This is when men pin meat to their clothes and run through the street from a pack of hungry dogs. This is a very peculiar sport but well worth checking it out of you are in thre area.
Notable in motorsports are: Two time DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
) and Race of Champions
winner Mattias Ekström
, 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.
In cycling
Sweden has the 1971 Giro
winner Gösta Pettersson
, two-time Giro runner up Tommy Prim
, 2004 Paris-Roubaix
winner Magnus Bäckstedt
as well as several other top professional cyclists including current riders Thomas Lövkvist
, Gustav Larsson, Fredrik Kessiakoff
and Emilia Fahlin.
E-sports is also gaining momentum in Sweden since the launch of Starcraft 2 with Swedish national televisions covering Dreamhack
events through out the year. Notable names are Jonathan Walsh
aka Jinro for his performances South Korea, Johan "NaNiwa" Lucchesi for being one of the top Swedish money earners during 2011 and Emil Christensen
more known as Heaton for beeing one of the foremost Counter-Strike
players in the history of the game.
(Allsvenskan
) and ice hockey
(Elitserien
). (Handball
) and floorball
come close, together with regional specialties such as bandy
and speedway
.
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s activities. The most important all-embracing organisations for sports in Sweden
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....
are the Swedish Sports Confederation
Swedish Sports Confederation
The Swedish Sports Confederation is the umbrella organisation of the Swedish sports movement. Through its member organisations, it has three million members in 22 000 clubs. The Confederation was formed in 1903...
, and the Swedish Olympic Committee
Swedish Olympic Committee
The Swedish Olympic Committee is the Swedish National Olympic Committee . The Swedish Olympic Committee organize the Swedish participation in the Olympics, choose the participants and run the "Elitprogrammet".The committee has 35 Olympic national federations members and 12 by the IOC national...
. In total over 2,000,000 people (about 20% of the total population) are members of a sports club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
.
The sports with most participants are handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and athletics, while the sports with the largest number of television spectators are football, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, handball, golf, motor sport (especially speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
) and athletics. Football is the main sport. Winter sports are also popular, both in the number of participants and in spectators, while floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
gained large popularity in the 1990s amongst participants, spectators really grew in the last 5 years to outnumber other team sport
Team sport
A team sport includes any sport which involves players working together towards a shared objective. A team sport is an activity in which a group of individuals, on the same team, work together to accomplish an ultimate goal which is usually to win. This can be done in a number of ways such as...
s amongst the spectators. Other popular sports include bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
. Except for basketball, the American sports have not gained much popularity, although American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
are practised.
Popular recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
al sports and activities include brännboll
Brännboll
Brännboll is a game similar to rounders, baseball, lapta and pesäpallo played on amateur level throughout Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Germany, mostly on fields and in public parks, but it is also part of the PE curriculum in some areas...
(popular in schools), boule
Boules
Boules is a collective name for games played with metal balls.Two of the most played boule games are pétanque and boule lyonnaise. The aim of the game is to get large, heavy balls as close to the 'jack' as you can. It is very popular especially in France, but also Italy, where it may often be seen...
, kubb
Kubb
Kubb is a lawn game where the object is to knock over wooden blocks by throwing wooden sticks at them. Kubb can be simply described as a combination of bowling and horseshoes...
, skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, swimming, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, walking
Walking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
, running
Running
Running is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, dancing, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
.
History
The Swedish sport movement can be traced back to the early 19th century and the Pehr LingPehr Henrik Ling
Per Henrik Ling was a Swedish physical therapist, developer and teacher of medical-gymnastics.-Early life:...
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 practiced 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
History of orienteering
The history of orienteering begins in the late 19th century in Sweden, where it originated as military training. The actual term "orienteering" was first used in 1886 at the Swedish Military Academy Karlberg and meant the crossing of unknown land with the aid of a map and a compass...
). Today, orienteering is one of the most popular sports in Sweden, attracting more than 100,000 runners.
Prominent athletes and teams
For a small nation, Sweden has top results in many different sports.Football
Some current internationally acclaimed football players from Sweden include Rasmus ElmRasmus Elm
Rasmus Cristoffer Elm is a Swedish footballer, who currently plays for AZ in the Dutch Eredivisie.- Early career and Kalmar FF :...
, Johan Elmander
Johan Elmander
Johan Erik Calvin Elmander is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Galatasaray and the Sweden national football team. He joined in a free transfer after his contract with English club Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League expired...
, and Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain....
. Historically acclaimed football stars include the trio of players known as Gre-No-Li
Gre-No-Li
Gre-No-Li is a contraction of the surnames of three Swedish footballers: Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. The denomination was colloquially used after these players composed a formidable trio of strikers while playing for the Swedish national team and Italian club AC Milan in the...
, who still enjoy legendary status for Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. Gre-No-Li were the 1950s football players called Gunnar Gren
Gunnar Gren
Gunnar Gren was a Swedish football player and coach. He is best known for playing for IFK Gothenburg and AC Milan. He was part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" trio of forwards at A.C. Milan and the Swedish national team...
, Gunnar Nordahl
Gunnar Nordahl
Gunnar Nordahl was a Swedish football player, best known for his play in AC Milan 1949-1956.-Sweden:...
, and Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm was a Swedish football midfielder and coach. Il Barone , as he is affectionately known in Italy, was renowned for being part of Sweden's "Gre-No-Li" trio of strikers along with Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl at A.C. Milan and the Swedish national team...
. Other previously active footballs stars include Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Edward Larsson MBE is a retired Swedish footballer and current manager of Landskrona BoIS.Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. He moved to Helsingborg, where he was one of the key players when they qualified to Allsvenskan 1993. Larsson then moved to Feyenoord for four years before...
, Glenn Strömberg
Glenn Strömberg
Glenn Peter Strömberg is a Swedish former footballer. He won the 1982 UEFA Cup with IFK Göteborg. Apart from Göteborg, he has also played for Benfica and Atalanta. He was voted Swedish footballer of the year, winning Guldbollen 1985. For his majestic way of playing in the midfield he was nicknamed...
and Fredrik Ljungberg
Fredrik Ljungberg
Karl Fredrik "Freddie" Ljungberg is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a right winger for Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan. Ljungberg was captain of the Swedish national team until he announced his international retirement after UEFA Euro 2008.Ljungberg was a model for Calvin Klein underwear...
.
The Swedish national football team
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
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
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
came as Sweden hosted 1992 European Football Championship. They reached the semi-finals. Something Swedes are proud of is that England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
has not defeated Sweden since 1968. Revered in Italy and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
is Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
, the Swede who led the English national team until his resignation after the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. They also hosted the UEFA U-21 European Championships this summer, losing out in the semi-finals on penalties against England. Only one Swedish team has ever won the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
— IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg
IFK Göteborg is a Swedish professional football club based in Gothenburg. Founded in 1904, the club has won 18 national championship titles, five national cup titles, and two UEFA Cups....
— who won in 1982 and 1987.
Ice hockey
The men's national hockey teamSwedish national men's ice hockey team
The Swedish men's national ice hockey team, or Tre Kronor , as it is called in Sweden, is one of the most successful ice hockey teams in the world...
has won the World Championships
Ice Hockey World Championships
The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation . First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual international tournament. The IIHF was created in 1908 while the European...
eight times, and Olympic gold medals in 1994 and 2006. The women's national hockey team
Swedish national women's ice hockey team
The Swedish women's national ice hockey team or Damkronorna represents Sweden at the International Ice Hockey Federation's IIHF World Women's Championships. The women's national team is controlled by Svenska Ishockeyförbundet...
won bronze medals in the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
and the 2005 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships
2005 Women's World Ice Hockey Championships
The 2005 IIHF World Women's Championships was held April 2–9, 2005, in Linköping, at Cloetta Center, and Norrköping, at Himmelstalundshallen, in Sweden. USA won their first ever gold medal at the World Championships, defeating the defending champions Canada in a penalty shootout...
, and a silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
. Famous Swedish NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
hockey players include Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg
Peter Mattias "Foppa" Forsberg is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player and currently an assistant general manager of Modo Sports. Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Forsberg is considered one of the most complete players of his generation...
, Mats Sundin
Mats Sundin
Mats Johan Sundin is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey player. Originally drafted first overall in 1989, Sundin played his first four seasons in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1994, where he played the majority of his career, serving 11...
, Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Lidström
Nicklas Erik Lidström is a Swedish professional ice hockey defenseman who has played his entire National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings, and is their captain...
, Markus Näslund
Markus Näslund
Sten Markus Näslund is a Swedish ice hockey general manager for Modo Hockey and a retired professional winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, as well as in the Elitserien with Modo Hockey...
, Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. He is the captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He is considered a leader by example and has been compared to former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman in his value to the Senators...
, Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin
Henrik Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League . His identical twin brother Daniel also plays for the Canucks. Having played together throughout their careers, the pair are known for their effectiveness playing off one...
, Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin
Daniel Sedin is a Swedish professional ice hockey winger with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League , and serves as an alternate captain for the Canucks during home games. His identical twin brother Henrik also plays for the Canucks, and is the team captain...
, Börje Salming
Börje Salming
Anders Börje Salming , nicknamed "The King", is a retired Swedish professional ice hockey defenceman. He played for Kiruna AIF, Brynäs IF, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Detroit Red Wings, and AIK. Salming was one of the first European players to make an impact in the National Hockey League , paving...
, Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik Zetterberg
Henrik “Zäta" Zetterberg is a Swedish professional ice hockey center and alternate captain currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
, Nicklas Bäckström
Nicklas Bäckström
Lars Nicklas Bäckström is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League .-Early life:...
, Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist
Henrik Lundqvist is a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He was nominated for the Vezina Trophy in his first three seasons in the NHL, finishing third all three times, and is the only goaltender in NHL history to record 30 wins in...
, Patrik Berglund
Patrik Berglund
Patrik Berglund is a Swedish professional ice hockey centre currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Thomas Steen
Thomas Steen
Thomas Steen is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and coach. Steen is the current city councillor for the Winnipeg ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien, National Hockey League and Deutsche Eishockey Liga.-Hockey career:Steen was born...
, and Pelle Lindbergh
Pelle Lindbergh
Per-Eric Göran "Pelle" Lindbergh was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
.
Handball
Sweden have won 4 world cups and hold, along with Romania, the record number of titles.Rugby union
"Swedish footballSwedish football (code)
Swedish football was a code of football devised and played in Sweden from the 1870s to the early 1890s, when the modern association football was introduced...
" in the nineteenth century was a variant of association football with some rugby elements. By 1900, Swedish football clubs were using the Football Association's rules with no rugby influence. However, rugby union proper was introduced into Sweden between the world wars by visiting British vessels.
Skiing
In skiingSkiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
sports, Ingemar Stenmark
Ingemar Stenmark
Jan Ingemar Stenmark is a Swedish former skier, active during the 1970s and 1980s. He is regarded as one of the most prominent Swedish sportsmen, and as the greatest slalom and giant slalom specialist of all time. He competed for Fjällvinden Tärnaby.Stenmark was born in the province of Lappland...
, Pernilla Wiberg
Pernilla Wiberg
Pernilla Wiberg is a Swedish former alpine ski racer, who competed on the World Cup circuit between 1990 and 2002. On club level, she represented Norrköpings SK.-Career:...
and Anja Pärson
Anja Pärson
Anja Sofia Tess Pärson is a Swedish-Sámi alpine skier, the winner of seven World Championships gold medals and two Overall Alpine Skiing World Cup titles. She has won a total of 42 World cup races.-Biography:...
have all dominated alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
at some point, and so have Sixten Jernberg
Sixten Jernberg
Eddy Sixten Jernberg is a retired Swedish cross country skier....
, Gunde Svan
Gunde Svan
Gunde Svan is a former Swedish cross-country skier and auto racing driver. During his career he won a total of four gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the Winter Olympics...
and Thomas Wassberg
Thomas Wassberg
Thomas Wassberg is a Swedish former cross-country skier. A fast skating style - push for every leg - is still called "Wassberg" after him in several countries....
in cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
. In ski jumping
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
, Jan Boklöv
Jan Boklöv
Jan Mauritz Boklöv is one of the most successful Swedish ski jumpers of all time, probably only rivaled by Sven Selånger. He won the World Cup in 1988/89, and dominated the Swedish championships in the late 1980s. He is however most known for inventing the V-style, which has been the standard...
revolutionised the sport with his new V-style technique.
Track and field
A number of Swedes have been internationally successful in track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. In the 1940s runners Gunder Hägg
Gunder Hägg
Gunder Hägg was a Swedish runner and multiple world record breaker of the 1940s. Gunder Hägg set over a dozen middle distance world records at events ranging from 1500 metres to 5000 meters, including three at both the 1500 meters and the mile, one at 3000 meters and one at 5000 meters.Hägg and...
, Arne Andersson
Arne Andersson
Arne Andersson was a Swedish middle distance runner who became famous for his rivalry with his compatriot Gunder Hägg in the 1940s. Andersson set a 1500 metres world record in Gothenburg in August 1943 with a time of 3:45.0 min...
, and Lennart Strand
Lennart Strand
Lennart Strand was a Swedish middle distance runner who won the silver medal over 1500 m at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. The race was won by his compatriot Henry Eriksson. Strand also equalised Gunder Hägg's 1500 m world record of 3:43.0 in Malmö in 1947...
dominated middle distance running
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
. In recent years, stars include high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
ers such as World Champion and European record holder Patrik Sjöberg
Patrik Sjöberg
Jan Niklas Patrik Sjöberg is a former Swedish high jumper and previous world record holder. With , he holds the Swedish as well as the European record in men's high jump...
, World Champion and Olympic medalist Kajsa Bergqvist
Kajsa Bergqvist
Kajsa Margareta Bergqvist is a Swedish former high jumper. She won one bronze medal in the Olympic Games, one gold and two bronze medals in the World Championships in Athletics and one gold and one bronze in the European Championships. Her personal outdoor record of 2.06 m, set in Germany in 2003,...
, and Athens Olympic gold medalist Stefan Holm
Stefan Holm
Stefan Christian Holm is a retired Swedish high jumper. He has won an Olympic gold medal, a silver in the World Championships, and one silver and one bronze medal in the European Championships...
. Two other Swedish athletes won gold medals in the 2004 Olympic Games: heptathlete
Heptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...
Carolina Klüft
Carolina Klüft
Carolina Evelyn Klüft is a Swedish athlete competing in triple jump, long jump and formerly in heptathlon and pentathlon. She won the Olympic heptathlon title in 2004...
and triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
er Christian Olsson
Christian Olsson
Christian Olsson is a Swedish athlete competing in high jump and triple jump. He has won an Olympic gold medal, three gold and one silver medal in the World Championships and two gold medals in the European Championships...
. Susanna Kallur is the World record holder for the indoor 60m hurdles set in 2008.
Others
Successful tennisTennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
players include former world No. 1's Björn Borg
Björn Borg
Björn Rune Borg is a former world no. 1 tennis player from Sweden. Between 1974 and 1981 he won 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He won five consecutive Wimbledon singles titles and six French Open singles titles...
, Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
and Stefan Edberg
Stefan Edberg
Stefan Bengt Edberg is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Sweden. A major proponent of the serve-and-volley style of tennis, he won six Grand Slam singles titles and three Grand Slam men's doubles titles. He also won one season ending championship title the Masters Grand Prix...
.
Other famous Swedish athletes include the heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
champion and International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
r - Ingemar Johansson
Ingemar Johansson
Jens Ingemar Johansson was a Swedish boxer and former heavyweight champion of the world. Johansson was the fifth heavyweight champion born outside the United States. In 1959 he defeated Floyd Patterson by TKO in the third round, after flooring Patterson seven times in that round, to win the World...
; World Golf Hall of Fame
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
r - Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam is a Swedish-American professional golfer whose achievements rank her as one of the most successful golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she won 90 international tournaments as a professional, making her the female golfer...
and multiple World Championships and Olympics medalist in table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
- Jan-Ove Waldner
Jan-Ove Waldner
Jan-Ove Waldner is a Swedish table tennis player. He is known as "the Mozart of table tennis" and is a legend in his native Sweden as well as in China. In China he is known as 老瓦 Lao Wa - "Old Wa" or 常青树 Chang Qing Shu - "Evergreen"...
.
Arne Borg
Arne Borg
Claes Arne Borg was a Swedish swimmer. He is best known for breaking 32 world records during the 1920s.He won the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1926...
, Gunnar Larsson, Anders Holmertz
Anders Holmertz
Anders Holmertz is a Swedish retired swimmer who was a leader in freestyle races in the 1980s and at the beginning of 1990s, though often missing personal success. He also settled a record in the 400 m freestyle...
, Stefan Nystrand
Stefan Nystrand
Stefan Nystrand is a freestyle swimmer from Sweden.-Biography:His father Sture Nystrand is a Swede and his mother Smiljana Kokeza is Croatian from Split...
, Therese Alshammar
Therese Alshammar
Malin Therese Alshammar is a Swedish swimmer who has won three Olympic medals, 25 World Championship medals, and 43 European Championship medals. Standing at 1.80 m, she is a specialist of short races in freestyle and butterfly...
, Anna-Karin Kammerling
Anna-Karin Kammerling
Anna-Karin Kammerling is a world-record breaking Swedish swimmer, who was born in Malmö, Sweden. Currently she resides in Sundsvall and trains with the Sundsvalls Swim Club under coach Hans Bergquist....
, Emma Igelström
Emma Igelström
Emma Igelström is a former breaststroke swimmer and European record holder from Sweden. She competed in the 2000 Olympics She quit her career because of Bulimia nervosa.-Long course :...
are some of the renowned swimmers, who have been successful in Olympics and/or World Championships.
Perhaps one of the least well known sports in Sweden is called rashering. This is when men pin meat to their clothes and run through the street from a pack of hungry dogs. This is a very peculiar sport but well worth checking it out of you are in thre area.
Notable in motorsports are: Two time DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters is a touring car racing series based in Germany, but also with rounds elsewhere in Europe....
) and Race of Champions
Race of Champions
The Race of Champions is an international motorsport event held at the end of each year, featuring some of the world's best racing and rally drivers...
winner Mattias Ekström
Mattias Ekström
Mattias Ekström is a racing driver from Sweden. He has been competing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for Audi since 2001. He is a two-time DTM champion and a three-time winner of the Race of Champions.-Career:...
, Multiple Speedway World Champion
Speedway World Championship
The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked motorcycle speedway riders of the world. Today, it is organised as a series of Speedway Grand Prix events, where points are awarded according to performance in the event and tallied up at the end of each...
Tony Rickardsson
Tony Rickardsson
Tony Rickardsson is a retired Swedish motorcycle speedway rider. He is widely acknowledged as being the most successful speedway rider of the current era, having won six Speedway World Championship titles in 15 attempts. He has two daughters, Michelle and Natalie with his wife Anna...
; British Touring Car Champion
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
Rickard Rydell
Rickard Rydell
Rickard Rydell is a Swedish racing driver. He won the 1998 British Touring Car Championship, the 2011 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship, and has also been a frontrunner in the European/World Touring Car Championship.-Early career:In the early 1990s, Rydell raced in various Formula Three series...
and the IRL and Indy 500 champion Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck
Kenny Bräck is a race car driver from Sweden. Until his retirement from racing, he competed in the CART, Indy Racing League and the IROC series. He is the winner of the 1999 Indianapolis 500 and the 1998 driving champion of the Indy Racing League. He survived one of the racing sport's biggest...
, F1
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Grand Prix
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
winner, Ronnie Peterson
Ronnie Peterson
Bengt Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish racing driver. He was a two-time runner-up in the FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship.Peterson began his motor racing career in kart racing, traditionally the discipline where the majority of race drivers begin their careers in open-wheel racing...
and Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård
Björn Waldegård from Rimbo is a former Swedish rally driver, and the winner of the inaugural World Rally Championship for drivers in 1979...
who won the Safari Rally
Safari Rally
The Safari Rally is considered by many to be the world's toughest rally. It was first held from 27 May to 1 June 1953 as the East African Coronation Safari in Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika, as a celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...
in 1977, the Monte Carlo Rally
Monte Carlo Rally
The Monte Carlo Rally or Rally Monte Carlo is a rallying event organised each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco which also organises the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and...
in 1969 and 1970 as well as the British RAC Rally in 1977.
Sweden has also been internationally successful in equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
(Malin Baryard
Malin Baryard
Malin Baryard is a Swedish equestrian, competing in show jumping. Baryard started to ride at the age of six and went on to be a very accomplished show jumper. She won a gold medal in the Swedish Championships at the age of just 14...
), golf (Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Parnevik
Jesper Bo Parnevik is a Swedish professional golfer. He spent 38 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings in 2000 and 2001.-Early years:...
, Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam is a Swedish-American professional golfer whose achievements rank her as one of the most successful golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she won 90 international tournaments as a professional, making her the female golfer...
) and speed-skating.
In cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
Sweden has the 1971 Giro
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
winner Gösta Pettersson
Gösta Pettersson
Gösta Pettersson is a Swedish former professional road racing cyclist and three-time Olympic medalist. The highlight of his career was his overall win in the 1971 Giro d'Italia...
, two-time Giro runner up Tommy Prim
Tommy Prim
Tommy Prim was a professional cyclist who rode for the Italian Bianchi team between the years of 1980 and 1986...
, 2004 Paris-Roubaix
Paris-Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France near the Belgian frontier. Since its beginning in 1896 until 1967 it started in Paris and ended in Roubaix ; since 1968 the start city is Compiègne , whilst the finish is still in Roubaix...
winner Magnus Bäckstedt
Magnus Bäckstedt
Magnus Bäckstedt is a Swedish professional road bicycle racer.He began as a skier, selected for the national team when he was 14. His greatest achievement in cycling is winning Paris–Roubaix in 2004. Bäckstedt is 1m 93 tall and weighs 94 kg...
as well as several other top professional cyclists including current riders Thomas Lövkvist
Thomas Lövkvist
Thomas Löfkvist is a Swedish professional road bicycle racer riding for the UCI ProTour . He became the youngest Swedish professional road bicycle racer when he started his professional bicycling career in at the age of 19 in 2004...
, Gustav Larsson, Fredrik Kessiakoff
Fredrik Kessiakoff
Fredrik Carl Wilhelm Kessiakoff is a Swedish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Kessiakoff turned to road racing in 2009, having had a successful career as a professional mountain biker for many years, winning the Swedish national championship 4 times, and finishing third at...
and Emilia Fahlin.
E-sports is also gaining momentum in Sweden since the launch of Starcraft 2 with Swedish national televisions covering Dreamhack
DreamHack
DreamHack is a digital festival, a local area network gathering with demo competitions, gaming competitions and more. It's arranged twice annually at the Elmia exhibition centre in Jönköping, Sweden and also twice a year at Expolaris Congresscenter, Skellefteå, Sweden and holds the world record ...
events through out the year. Notable names are Jonathan Walsh
Jonathan Walsh
Jonathan Walsh , nicknamed Jinro, is a Swedish professional player of the computer game StarCraft 2. He lives in South Korea, and plays for Team Liquid in the GOMTV Global Starcraft II League , but currently lives with the oGs house due to an agreement between both teams. He plays as Terran...
aka Jinro for his performances South Korea, Johan "NaNiwa" Lucchesi for being one of the top Swedish money earners during 2011 and Emil Christensen
Emil Christensen
Emil Pathric William Christensen , alias HeatoN, is a former Swedish professional Counter-Strike player, formerly playing as captain of the gaming team Ninjas in Pyjamas...
more known as Heaton for beeing one of the foremost Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
players in the history of the game.
Spectator sports
The greatest spectator sports in Sweden are footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
(Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
) and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
(Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
). (Handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
) and floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
come close, together with regional specialties such as bandy
Bandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
and speedway
Motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
.
Events
- Open to everyone
- Gothia CupGothia CupGothia Cup is a youth association football tournament held annually in Gothenburg, Sweden, open for both boys and girls of ages 11 to 19 years. With regards to the number of participants, it is the world's largest football tournament: in 2011, a total of 35,200 players from 1567 teams and 72...
- VasaloppetVasaloppetVasaloppet is an annual long distance cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March in northwestern Dalarna, Sweden between the village of Sälen and town of Mora. It is the oldest, one of the longest, and in popular consideration the biggest cross-country ski race in the world...
- LidingöloppetLidingöloppetLidingöloppet is an annual Cross-country running competition held in Lidingö, Sweden. The 30 km run has about 15.000 participants per year and the shorter races several thousands, making it the largest cross-country event in the world...
- VansbrosimningenVansbrosimningenVansbrosimningen is an annual open water swimming competition held in Vansbro, Dalarna, Sweden since 1950. The distance is 3,000 m, first 2,000 m in Vanån then 1,000 m in Västerdal River...
- VätternrundanVätternrundanVätternrundan is a bicycle recreational ride around Lake Vättern in Sweden which is held in mid-June every year. Covering a distance of approx. 300 km, it starts and finishes in the town of Motala...
- Stockholm MarathonStockholm MarathonThe Stockholm Marathon, known as the ASICS Stockholm Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon arranged in Stockholm, Sweden since 1979. It serves as the Swedish marathon championship race...
- O-RingenO-RingenThe O-Ringen is an orienteering competition that takes place annually in different areas of Sweden. Orienteers from all over the world come to the competition...
- Gothia Cup
- Open to elite only
- Catella Swedish Open
- DN GalanDN Galan-External links:**...
- Sweden Hockey Games
- Elite leagues
- AllsvenskanAllsvenskanAllsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
- Elitserien (ice hockey)ElitserienElitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
- Obol Basketball League
- Elitserien (bandy)Elitserien (bandy)The Elitserien is since the 2007–08 season the highest bandy league in Sweden. It consist of 14 teams. The season ends with a final on Studenternas IP in Uppsala. From 2013 the final will be played in Swedbank Arena, Solna....
- Allsvenskan