Martina Salander's personal best is also the all-time best for a Swedish 15-year old. Photo: Tomas Gunnare

Come Friday evening, most young people are just happy to see the back of the school week. Martina Salander and Felix Grape, however, set off for their fifth training session of the week. The two teenagers from Stockholm dedicate around 10 hours a week to athletics.

Salander, 15, says: “It’s fun, social and I get to meet my friends.” Her personal best of 12 seconds flat over 100 meters makes her the fastest Swede of her age of all time. Martina’s athletic flair makes for much anticipation but she’s not feeling the heat just yet. “The only pressure I get is the pressure I put on myself,” she says.

Grape, a 17-year-old sprinter and long jumper, found the sport six years ago and was instantly hooked. “I spend a lot of time training but as long as I keep enjoying it I want to develop as much as I can,” he says. 

Home-grown champions

They don’t have to look far for inspirational role models. Swedish athletics is in the midst of a boom. Heptathlete Carolina Klüft recently celebrated her third consecutive World Championship crown and claimed a new European record with a tally of 7032 points.

Felix Grape was drawn to the sport six years ago and now competes in international youth championships. Photo: Bertil Carlén

Meanwhile, high-jump duo Stefan Holm and Kajsa Bergqvist have been at the top of their game for years, alongside triple-jumper Christian Olsson, for whom injury meant an early exit in Osaka.

The big stars of today actively participate as mentors for Sweden’s track and field athletes of tomorrow, occasionally appearing for youth practice sessions. And a new wave of talent is already hot on their heels: 100 meter hurdler Susanna Kallur and 200 meter specialist Johan Wissman took gold and silver respectively at the 2006 European Championships in Gothenburg.

Coach Per Grape from Fredrikshofs athletic club in Stockholm says: “There was a big surge in interest after that. When the big events take place, more youngsters want to come and sign up.”

Meanwhile, the ‘Kajsa and Carolina effect’ has catapulted the attraction of field disciplines for girls. “It’s not unusual to see 60 girls waiting in line to try out for the high jump,” Grape says.   

Taking the jump

Erika Wiklund once waited her turn. But the 19-year-old is now making a name for herself, taking high jump gold at the 2007 Junior European Championships. Sweden has a long-standing history of producing champions in the event, and Erika hopes to follow tradition.

“I want to be the best in the world,” she says. “I’ve got a long way to go but I’m going to push myself all the way to achieve that.”  

High jumper Erika Wiklund has started her own collection of international medals. Her goal? To be the best in the world, of course. Photo: Hasse Sjögren

It seems success has bred success, positive press and popularity for both track and field in Sweden. The next generation of Swedish athletes are already on their marks. 

David Fridell from the Swedish Athletic Association says: “We can attribute the huge growth in interest to our achievements over the last few years. We have always had one or two world-class stars but the current situation is unique.”

From zero to hero

Just twelve years ago it was a very different story. When Sweden hosted the World Championships in 1995, what should have been a highlight in the country’s sporting calendar ended in a sorry tally of zero medals. 

But the recent trend of triumph means Sweden has become a frontrunner on the international athletics stage. Consequently, there’s been a welcome injection of public funding and private sponsorship on a national level. 

State-of-the-art facilities, new leader initiatives, summer schools, a youth athletics council, educational schemes and improved coaching programs have been introduced to keep momentum.

With the appeal of athletics at an all-time high, it’s about keeping up with demand and ensuring that kids stick with the sport.

“We have to build for the future and work to maintain the level we have achieved,” Fridell says.

Winning isn’t everything

Per Grape trains his group of hopefuls in the capital. Their new outdoor training arena has been open just a matter of weeks. It is situated just a stone’s throw away from Stockholm Stadion, which hosted the 1912 Olympic Games.

Coach Per Grape emphasizes variation and play along with hard training. Photo: Bertil Carlén

But the youth athletics movement in Sweden is not all about building record-breaking dreams. According to Grape, training methods largely focus on having fun.

“There’s a strong emphasis on creating good group dynamics,” he says. “It’s about making the session enjoyable and mixing elements of play.” Variation is critical too. Youngsters are encouraged to try all disciplines and not specialize too early.

“I think we’re just at the beginning of a golden age for Swedish athletics,” Grape says. “There is a lot of young talent waiting to move up to senior level. But only time will tell if we will produce another Carolina Klüft.”

Indeed, while Klüft was warming up for the World Championships, Martina Salander and Felix Grape were vying for Swedish junior and youth championship glory. Remarkably, they competed in a total of seven events between them. 

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Christine Demsteader is a freelance journalist from England. In 1991 she claimed 100m gold at her school sports day in a time of 13.06. Nowadays she has trouble running for the bus.

The author alone is responsible for the opinions expressed in this article.

Classification: A211EN