Sten Pettersson

In addition to being an excellent sprinter Sten Pettersson was one of the best hurdlers in the world during the interwar period. Pettersson set world, European, and Swedish records, won dozens of medals at the Swedish championships, and won a medal at the Olympics. At the national championships he won six golds in the 110 metres hurdles (1923–26, 1930, 1933) and seven golds in the 400 metres hurdles (1923, 1925–30). He set world records in both hurdling disciplines during the 1920s, with his Swedish record in the 400 metres hurdles lasting from 1925 until 1948. Pettersson won bronze in the 110 metres hurdles at the 1924 Paris Olympics, finishing just ahead of compatriot Carl-Axel Christiernsson in the final. Four years later at the Amsterdam Olympics he narrowly missed out on medals in both the 400 metres hurdles and the 4 x 400 metres relay, finishing fourth in both races. Pettersson’s third and final Olympic appearance came at the 1932 Los Angeles Games where he reached the semi-finals of the 400 metres hurdles.

Alongside his success in the hurdles Pettersson won multiple national sprint titles with victory in the 100 metres (1925–26), 200 metres (1925, 1927–28), 400 metres (1928), 4 x 100 metres relay (1925, 1927, 1930, 1933), and the 4 x 400 metres relay (1925–26, 1928, 1930, 1933). His talent was not just confined to the track, as he also won three consecutive Swedish titles in the standing high jump from 1923 to 1925. Across all the sprinting, hurdling, and jumping events at the national championships, his medal haul included a further ten silvers and six bronze. In 1925 Pettersson was the first recipient of the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, awarded annually ever since for the most significant Swedish sports achievement of the year.

Personal Bests: 400 – 49.5 (1929); 110H – 14.5 (1930); 400H – 52.4 (1928).