IOC code SWE | Competitors 134 in 20 sports | |
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MedalsRanked 37th GoldSilverBronzeTotal1438 | ||
Sweden competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 25 July to 12 August 2012. Swedish athletes have competed at every edition of the Summer Olympic Games in the modern era, except for the sparsely attended 1904 Summer Olympics in St. Louis. The Swedish Olympic Committee (Swedish: Sveriges Olympiska Kommitté, SOK) sent a total of 134 athletes to the Games, 55 men and 79 women, to compete in 20 sports. For the second consecutive time in its Olympic history, Sweden was represented by more female than male athletes.
Contents
- Delegation
- Athletics
- Boxing
- Sprint
- Diving
- Dressage
- Eventing
- Jumping
- Football
- Womens tournament
- Gymnastics
- Artistic
- Handball
- Mens tournament
- Rowing
- Sailing
- Shooting
- Swimming
- Table tennis
- Taekwondo
- Wrestling
- References
Sweden left London with a total of 8 Olympic medals (1 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze), tying with Tokyo and Atlanta for the overall highest medal count. Two medals each were awarded to athletes in sailing and wrestling, and one each in equestrian, handball, and triathlon. For the first time since 1992, Sweden won more than a single Olympic medal in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Among the nation's medalists were Star sailors Fredrik Lööf and Max Salminen, who together won Sweden's only gold medal in London, the nation's first in eight years. Lisa Nordén, who finished eighteenth in Beijing, became the first Swedish athlete to win an Olympic medal in women's triathlon. Meanwhile, equestrian eventing rider Sara Algotsson Ostholt managed to win the nation's only silver medal in her sport. Sweden's team-based athletes also equalled their previous best Olympic results after 12 years, as they achieved a silver medal in men's handball. Several Swedish athletes narrowly missed out on the medal places in their events, including long jumper Michel Tornéus, singles sculls rower Lassi Karonen, swimmers Sarah Sjöström and Therese Alshammar, and sprint kayakers Sofia Paldanius and Anders Gustafsson.
Delegation
Sveriges Olympiska Kommitté (SOK) selected a team of 134 athletes, 55 men and 79 women, to compete in 20 sports; it was the nation's fourteenth largest team sent to the Olympics outside the host nation. Handball and women's football were the only team-based sports in which Sweden had its representation in these Olympic games. There was only a single competitor in archery, badminton, mountain biking, judo, and triathlon. Sailing was the largest team by individual-based sport, with a total of 14 competitors. Sweden also marked its Olympic return in men's handball after a twelve-year absence.
The Swedish team featured past Olympic medalists, four of them from Beijing (road cyclists Gustav Larsson and Emma Johansson, sailor Fredrik Lööf in the Star class, and equestrian show jumper Rolf-Göran Bengtsson, who competed at his fifth Olympics). For being the oldest and most experienced athlete, Bengtsson, at age 50, was Sweden's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. Table tennis player Jörgen Persson became the second Swedish athlete to compete in seven Olympic games, tying the record set by pistol shooter and former Olympic record holder Ragnar Skanåker. Dressage rider Tinne Vilhelmsson-Silfvén, and butterfly swimmer Lars Frölander, along with Lööf, competed at their sixth Olympics. Meanwhile, four other Swedish athletes made their fifth Olympic appearance, along with Bengtsson: equestrian eventing rider Linda Algotsson, freestyle swimmer Therese Alshammar, and sprint kayak pair and double Olympic medalists Henrik Nilsson and Markus Oscarsson. Gymnast Jonna Adlerteg, at age 17, was the youngest athlete of the team.
Other notable Swedish athletes featured sprint kayaker and world champion Anders Gustafsson, butterfly swimmer and triple European champion Sarah Sjöström, tennis doubles specialist Robert Lindstedt, triathlete and former World Series champion Lisa Nordén, and equestrian eventing rider Sara Algotsson Ostholt, who made her Olympic comeback in London after a twelve-year absence.
Athletics
Swedish athletes have so far achieved qualifying standards in the following athletics events (up to a maximum of 3 athletes in each event at the 'A' Standard, and 1 at the 'B' Standard):
Boxing
After the 2012 European Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament, Sweden has qualified two boxers. Anna Laurell received a wild card.
Sprint
Qualification Legend: FA = Qualify to final (medal); FB = Qualify to final B (non-medal)
Diving
Dressage
Sweden has qualified one team and three individual quota places after finishing in fourth place at the 2011 European Dressage Championship. Rose Mathisen is a reserve in the team dressage event.
Eventing
Sweden has qualified one team and five quota places in the individual event after finishing in fourth place at the 2011 European Eventing Championships.
Jumping
After the 2011 European Championships, Sweden has qualified four quota places in the individual event and one place in the team event.
Football
Sweden women's football team qualified for the event by finishing as the best of the European teams in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Women's tournament
The following is the Sweden squad in the women's football tournament of the 2012 Summer Olympics. ‹See Tfd›
Head coach: Thomas Dennerby
Gymnastics
Jonna Adlerteg ensured a quota place at the 2012 Olympic Test Event.
Artistic
Adlerteg was ranked 31st in the uneven bars event, 59th in the vault event, 63rd in the balance beam event, and 70th in the floor event.
Handball
Sweden women's handball team will participate in the Olympic Games as runners-up from the European Championships, and the men's team qualified through the IHF Qualification Tournament.
Men's tournament
The following is the Swedish roster in the men's handball tournament of the 2012 Summer Olympics. ‹See Tfd›
Head coaches: Staffan Olsson and Ola Lindgren
Women's tournament
The following is the Swedish roster in the women's handball tournament of the 2012 Summer Olympics. ‹See Tfd›
Head coaches: Per Johansson
Rowing
Sweden qualified two boats at the 2011 World Championships.
Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal); FB=Final B (non-medal); FC=Final C (non-medal); FD=Final D (non-medal); FE=Final E (non-medal); FF=Final F (non-medal); SA/B=Semifinals A/B; SC/D=Semifinals C/D; SE/F=Semifinals E/F; Q=Quarterfinals; R=Repechage
Sailing
At the 2011 World Championships in Perth, Sweden qualified boats in all classes with Swedish participation.
M = Medal race; EL = Eliminated – did not advance into the medal race;
Shooting
Sweden has qualified four quota places in the shooting events.
Swimming
Table tennis
Sweden has qualified two men in the men's singles event, and one woman. Kristian Karlsson is selected as reserve in the men's team event.
Taekwondo
Elin Johansson has ensured a quota place for Sweden in the women's 67 kg by reaching the top 3 of the 2011 WTF World Qualification Tournament.
Wrestling
Sweden has qualified three quota places in the men's Greco-Roman wrestling, and three other quota places in the women's freestyle wrestling.
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