In 1964 cyclist Sven Hamrin became the Swedish national road race champion, earning himself a place on the Olympic team. That same year Hamrin, along with the Fåglum brothers, won bronze in the team time trial at the Tokyo Games. Despite his early success his career was blighted with misfortune and injuries. Prior to the Olympics he crashed heavily during a stage of the Tour of Morocco. Although he managed to finish the race, he required 42 stiches. Two years later Hamrin was seriously injured in a car crash, which left him in a coma for 40 days. He required multiple surgeries, resulting in his right leg being noticeably shorter than the other. With a specially constructed cycling shoe Hamrin was able to compete in several races, including winning a team medal in the H40 class at the national championships in the 1980s.
Sweden