Sven-Olov Larsson

Sweden’s Sven-Olov Larsson was a talented long-distance and cross-country runner who competed during the 1960s. Larsson started off as a 1,500 metres runner, winning silver at the 1961 Swedish championships, followed by bronze the following year. In 1962 he also won gold in the 4 km and 12 km national cross-country races. From 1963 to 1965 he held the national record in the 5,000 metres, earning himself a spot on the Swedish Olympic team for the 1964 Tokyo Games, but did not advance from the heats. Larsson had better success back in Sweden at the 1964 cross-country championships, winning gold in the team race and silver in the individual race, before repeating the results at the 1966 championships. He was forced to retire from running in 1968 due to a hip injury.

Personal Best: 5000 – 13:49.2 (1963).