Swedish athletics chief satisfied with strong European Championship showing

Sweden's athletics team achieved a strong showing at the European Championships in Birmingham, securing two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. While the performance did not break the national record set 20 years prior, national athletics director Kajsa Bergqvist deemed it one of the team's best-ever championship efforts.

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We are having one of our best European Championships ever, even if we don't quite reach the level of 2006.

Bergqvist acknowledged that the team fell just short of the 2006 record, which saw three golds, one silver, and two bronzes. However, she emphasized the overall success, noting that the team's medal count was bolstered by strong performances in the final days of the competition. Athletes like Vanessa Kamga, Andreas Almgren, Samuel Pihlström, and Armand Duplantis delivered crucial medals after a slower start.

Despite the overall success, Sweden experienced a notable number of near-misses, with five athletes finishing in fourth place. This included Fanny Roos (shot put), Daniel Ståhl (discus), Oskar Edlund (400m hurdles), Perseus Karlström (race walk), and Suldan Hassan (marathon). Bergqvist described this as "a bit unlucky" and a pattern seen in recent championships, where Sweden has been overrepresented in fourth-place finishes.

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We could have had a bit more luck sometimes. It's been a bit like that at the European Championships in recent years, a bit overrepresented with fourth places.

Key moments highlighted by Bergqvist included the remarkable quarter-hour where Almgren and Pihlström secured gold and silver, respectively, and Duplantis's dominant performance in the pole vault. These performances, along with early medals from Wictor Petersson and Kamga, contributed to a memorable championship for the Swedish team.

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There are many impressions that will remain for a long time. I am also happy for Wictor in the beginning, then Vanessa, and today we had a fantastic finish with 'Mondo' showing how tough it is to beat him.