Sport Modern pentathlon Club A6 IF, Jonkoping | Name Gosta Gardin Role Olympic athlete | |
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Born 28 May 1923 (age 100) ( 1923-05-28 ) Linkoping, Sweden Olympic medals Modern pentathlon at the 1948 Summer Olympics | ||
Gösta Gärdin (28 May 1923 – 12 December 2015) was a Swedish Army officer and modern pentathlete who won a bronze medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
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Career
Gärdin was born in Linköping, Sweden and was the son of colonel Georg Gärdin and Märta (née Wästfelt). He became a second lieutenant at Småland Artillery Regiment (A 6) in 1944 and completed the Artillery and Engineering College's higher course from 1949 to 1951. Gärdin became captain of the General Staff Corps in 1956 and major at Boden Artillery Regiment (A 8) in 1962.
He was appointed lieutenant colonel of the General Staff Corps in 1965 and was lieutenant colonel at Svealand Artillery Regiment (A 1) 1967. Gärdin was promoted to colonel in 1969 and became head of the Royal Military Academy which he was until 1973 when he became the commander of Småland Artillery Regiment (A 6). Gärdin was promoted to colonel of the 1st rank in 1976 and was Artillery Inspector from 1976 to 1983.
Other work
Gärdin was adjutant of His Majesty the King from 1965 to 1969 and was chief adjutant from 1969. He was Sweden's Military Sports Federation's leader of modern pentathlon from 1972 to 1984, chairman of its Executive Committee from 1978 to 1983 and secretary general from 1983 to 1996. Gärdin was also a member of the Executive Committee of the International Military Sports Council from 1980 to 1981. Gärdin was a board member of the Swedish Olympic Committee from 1984 to 1996. He was chairman of the Swedish Olympic Academy from 1989 to 2000.
Gärdin joined to the Riksidrottens vänner (Friends of the National Sports) in 1979 and became its chairman in 1989, a position he held for 14 years. He resigned at the annual meeting in 2001 and was then elected honorary chairman. Meanwhile, the scholarship Gösta Gärding's Youth Fund (Gösta Gärdins Ungdomsfond) was established for "a male or female sports leaders, who for many years successfully engaged in youth activities and particularly promoted the understanding of fair play and joy of sport."
Personal life
In 1946 he married Margit Engman (born 1923), daughter of the factory manager Gunnar Engman and Märta (née Johansson). Gärdin died on 12 December 2015 in Jönköping. The funeral service took place at Gustaf Adolf Church in Stockholm on 22 January 2016.