Sven Nylander in azione ai Mondiali 1995 – da:hn.se/sport/sven-nylander-bröt-tystnaden
Article by Giovanni Manenti
Before, in recent times, Norwegian Karsten Warholm rewrote the history of the 400 meter hurdles – with times that rival the flat distance – it is not that the Scandinavian countries had obtained excessive satisfaction from this specialty, considering how in Olympic Panorama could count on the bronze medal of the Swede Rune Larsson won at the 1948 London Gameswhile none of them had ever stood on a world championship podium…
And also at a continental level, there is no trace of Scandinavian successes European Championships, the best placings were the silver medals won by the Swedes Sixten Larsson (with Rune Larsson bronze…) in the Oslo edition 1946 e Per-Ove Trollsas when the exhibition took place in Stockholm in 1958.
Yet, right there Sweden is able to produce a hurdler, the protagonist of our story today, capable of remaining for a decade, at the turn of the 90s of the 20th century, among the best performers of the specialty, so much so that it appeared on six occasions in the “Top Ten” of the World Ranking drawn up by the prestigious US magazine “Track & Field News” …
Born on January 1, 1982 in Varberg, a city of less than 30 thousand souls located in Gottland, Sven Nylander came to light in 1982, when, as a 20-year-old, he knocked down the “barrier of 50″ clear”, running the distance in 49”88 in mid-August, and then doing well in the following ones European Championships in Athens, where he gained access to the Final, and then, despite finishing in seventh placeimprove his limit, dropping to 49”54.
To improve the already good natural qualities of the young Scandinavian, having obtained a scholarship for “Southern Methodist University” in Dallas, Texas, a circumstance certified by the affirmation obtained from the 1983 NCAA Championships with a time of 48”88 which remains for a certain period its “Personal Best” on the distance and which acts as a valid “business card” in view of first edition of the World Championships scheduled for the beginning of the following August in Helsinki…
This is the period in which dominating the scene is a quartet of US champions captained by “legendary” Edwin Moseswhich they surround Danny Harris, André Phillips e Kevin Youngwhile in the Old Continent it is to get everyone to agree the West German Harald Schmid, not surprisingly capable of becoming European Champion in three consecutive editions (1978, 1982 and 1986) of the Review.
Which is why, even just trying to get on the podium of an Olympics or a World Championship is an extremely unlikely undertaking and, in any case, on the track of “Olympic Stadium” of the Finnish capital Nylander is not intimidated and, after qualifying for the Final of 9 August 1983, he manages to get behind the American pair formed by Phillips and David Lee, but, unfortunately for him, he is beaten (49″03 to 49″06) by the Soviet Alexander Kharlov for the awarding of bronze, while the title obviously goes to the unattainable Moses in 47″48, with Schmid “first among humans” in 48”61 …
However, this placement earned Nylander his first appearance in the “Top Ten” of the year-end ranking, placed in seventh position, one Ranking that takes more into account times than placingsas demonstrated by the outcome of the following season, the highlight of which is the Los Angeles Olympics.
On the trail of “Memorial Coliseum”, in fact, in one of the races where the absence of athletes falling within the Soviet sphere of influence does not have much impact, the 22 year old Swede qualified for the Final by coming second in 49″03 in the second semi-final behind Harrisand then remained in the running for a medal until entering the final straight, before giving up and confirm fourth place in the world championship with his best time of the season of 48”97while Moses, regal in his own right, won in 47″75 ahead of the Harris/Schmid duo who completed the podium in 48″13 and 48″19 respectively…
Nonetheless, Nylander is excluded from the “Top Ten” of the year-end rankingand then, after a subsequent subdued season, he returned to the top of the specialty in 1986, which saw him finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships won by Harris in 48”33to then present itself with renewed ambitions at the Continental Review at the end of August in Stuttgart.
On German soil, without prejudice to Schmid’s superiority, the Scandinavian hurdler qualifies for the Final by finishing (48″80 to 48″83) behind the Soviet Aleksandr Vasiliyev – so as to improve his personal and national record by 0”03 cents – which also precedes him in the final act, where gets the bronze in 49″38, while the 25-year-old of Belarusian origins threatens the leadership (48″65 to 48″76) of the German champion…
However, having managed, for the first time, to get on the podium of a major international event, as well as having improved his limits, represents a good omen for Nylander in view of the second edition of the World Championships scheduled in Rome at the beginning of September 1987where he presents himself with a best result of the season of 49″57 obtained in Malmoe, but as always intends to do battle to take advantage of a possible counter-performance by one of the favourites.
And, on the trail of “Olympic Stadium”, it certainly cannot be said that the Swede spares himself, given that, after improving to 48″46 in the first semi-final arriving in the wake (48”23 and 48”24) of Schmid and Harris, he drops further to 48″37 in the final act to precede the Senegalese Amadou Dia Ba in the photo finishwhile the fight for medals records the most exciting arrival in the history of the specialty, with Moses having to use all his energy to be right (47″48 to 47″48 for both) of Harris and Schmidwhich conclude in order…
Back in the “Top Ten” of the end-of-season Ranking, and now in full physical maturity, Nylander is expected to be one of the protagonists at the 1988 Seoul Games, which he is forced to withdraw from due to injury which also makes him skip the following season, while the “Olympic Glory” goes to Phillips who precedes (47”19 to 47”23) Dia Ba, the latter until then always beaten by the Scandinavian.
Having recovered a satisfactory athletic condition, Nylander is once again ready to challenge the best exponents of the Old Continent on the occasion of the European Championships at the end of August 1990 in Split, where he presented himself having obtained the best time of the season 49″15 ten days earlier in Berlin, the review is called to designate Harald Schmid’s heir…
With this time to pair up with Niklas Wallenlind, the two Swedes dominate (48″80 to 48″82) the second semi-finalbut in the Final they both had to surrender to the Briton Kriss Akabusi, who combines the European title with the national record with a time of 47″92, while the “family challenge” is the prerogative of Nylander, who precedes (48″43 to 48″52) his 22-year-old compatriotwith the same placed respectively in eighth and ninth place in the year-end ranking.
Now close to crossing the threshold of 30 years, the declining phase of his career seems to have begun for the Scandinavian, given that the following three years saw him fail to access the Finals of the three most important Events – Tokyo 1991 World Cup, Barcelona 1992 Olympics and Stuttgart 1993 World Cup – so as to be considered by experts to have started “sunset avenue”, while Wallenlind (eighth in Tokyo and fifth in Barcelona…) is unable to take up the baton…
But, as if by magic, here it is Nylander resurrected in 1994, one of his best seasons from a chronometric perspectivewith performances always below 50″ net, and which, after his success in the European Cup at the end of June in Birmingham in 49″36, sees him record two 48″97s at the beginning of July and then drop to 48″40 in Villenueve d’Ascqso as to propose its candidacy for the continental title in view of European Championships scheduled in Helsinki at the beginning of the following August.
And, on the track where 11 years earlier he had begun his “collection of fourth places”, this time Nylander has very little to make up for, given that, after having imposed himself both in the heat and in the semi-final, improves his limit, as well as the national record, running the Final in 48″22only to have the misfortune of running into the “Day of grace” of Ukrainian Oleg Tverdokhleb who, with a time of 48″06, in turn established his own “Personal Best”as well as a national record that still stands today…
Unlucky athlete, the Ukrainian, as he was killed, in September 1995 at the age of 26, by an electric shock while he was busy repairing some cables at his parents’ house, while Nylander’s excellent season gave him the strength to carry on, at least until the 1996 Atlanta Games, after having reached fourth place in the Ranking this time at the end of the year, his best placing ever.
In the run-up to the Olympic appointment, Nylander showed off another good season the following year, whose peak is the 48″53 recorded in the semi-final at the Iridata event at the beginning of August 1985 in Gothenburghowever not confirming himself in the final stage, where he finished no better than fifth in 48″84 (0″01 hundredths from fourth place…), and, on the contrary, The star of the American Derrick Adkins shines, ahead of the Zambian Samuel Matete (47″98 to 48″03) …
Relegated to ninth place in the Ranking, Nylander is aware that if he wants to get an Olympic medal he must at least be able to drop below “barrier of 48″ clear“, a feat he has never achieved so far and not easy to achieve after 35 springs have already been completed, but “there’s no harm in trying” and so here is the Swede introducing himself to his third appointment at the Games with a best seasonal performance of 48″63 obtained at the beginning of July 1996 to Losanna.
On the trail of “Centennial Olympic Stadium” of Atlanta, Nylander does not waste energy in the heat (second in the sixth series in 49”54 …), and then gives his best in the semi-final, where he finished in 48″21 behind Adkins, who with his 47″76 made it clear to the rest of his opponents who the favorite was for the Gold Medal…
Time that the Swede cannot approach, much less when in In the final, the American improved by winning (47″54 to 47″78) over Matete, but with Nylander fighting for bronze until the last hurdle, only for being remounted in the last supports (47″96 to 47″98) by the other American Calvin Davis for the final mockery of his long career.
There remains the small consolation of having broken the 48″ net barrier for the first time, however a record that still stands in its homelandto testify that fighting among the greats of every era in the specialty of the m.400hs – with two European silvers and one bronze and two fourth places at both the Olympics and the World Championships – Sven Nylander from Varberg was there too…
And, after all, “the important thing is to participate…”, as Baron Pierre de Coubertin warned…