“We have gathered the very best Swedes who face strong international opposition in this year’s first Folksam Grand Prix competition. Among other things, you can see Fanny Roos in a spectacular shooting competition in search of a Swedish record. Long jumper Thobias Montler is sharpening his form before the indoor EC in Istanbul, where he is chasing gold after two straight silvers. The super talent Maja Åskag jumps the long jump and the world runner Andreas Kramer meets strong international opposition in the 800m.”
Is Henrik Larsson holding out for an Olympic gold medalist? How has Andreas Kramer developed since he became a Stockholmer? Does Jonathan Grahn set an eighth junior record? And who in the Nordics is the fastest at cutting five hedges? These are some of the questions to be answered when the winter’s most prestigious competition in athletics in Sweden is held in Sätrahallen, Folksam GP Stockholm Indoor. Henrik Larsson was only four hundredths from the Swedish 60 meter record that has stood for almost 27 years, when he opened the season a week ago. On Sunday, he meets Olympic gold medalist Filippo Tortu, when the Folksam Grand Prix has its only indoor competition. It ends in the Stockholm suburb of Sätra. The Italian brought home the stick in the relay team that roared by winning the 4×100 meters at the Olympics in Tokyo. Last year he was third in the EC’s 200 meters. The personal record in 60 meters is identical to the Swedish record: 6.58. Julia Henriksson has also had a brilliant start to the year. MAI’s sprinter became Sweden’s second fastest of all time in 200 meters indoors on Friday. Also present is Mathilde U Kramer, who took over the Danish record last winter. The tireless Andreas Kramer, who ran 25 races over the favorite distance of 800 meters last year. The newcomer from Stockholm made it to the WC final last winter. During this summer’s EC, he was 19 hundredths from a medal. On Sunday, there is a chance for revenge at the Stockholm Indoor GP as he meets Mark English, the Irishman who snubbed him at the EC bronze. The runner-up at the African championships, Nicholas Kebenei, is coming to Stockholm to do his first indoor race. Jonathan Grahn set seven Swedish junior records last year. Five of them were over 1,500 meters, which is the distance he will tackle in the Sätrahallen on Sunday. Vincent Keter, who is junior world champion, has even greater junior merits. The Kenyan has fond memories of Sweden, which he has been to twice and won on both occasions, at the Folksam Grand Prix in Karlstad and Sollentuna. But by far the fastest in the field is the Frenchman Azeddine Habz, who ran as fast as 3:31. It is nine seconds faster than Grahn has yet managed in his 18 years. The Swedish junior indoor record is 3:43.56.
Lovisa Lindh returns home from her training base in Switzerland to renew her rivalry with Hedda Hynne, the Norwegian against whom she has competed for ten years. They are the fastest in the Nordics of all time at 800 meters. They are challenged by Kenya’s Vivian Chebet and Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova, who both ran 2:00 last year. Hurdles are on the rise in the Nordics. Finland tops the European charts and it is from there that we get Annimari Korte, who has been the fastest in the region in recent years. Denmark’s Mathilde Heltbech joined Julia Wennersten in the WC semi-finals in the 60 meter hurdles last winter. While Hanna Palmqvist had previously been a specialist in the 400 meter hurdles, she hit the mark by running 8.23 this weekend, which brings her into the top ten Swedes of all time.
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