Swedish TV Viewing Stats

[EPelle]

Track and field is a fan-appreciated tv sport in Sweden, and tv viewing stats showed that 16,8% (1 500,000) of Swedes watched the IAAF world indoor championships this past weekend. ( source: www.friidrott.se)

I was at a Swedish ski resort the final day of comp, and everyone in the reception hall (nearly 500) had their eyes on Klüft when she powered to the bronze... there was not a sound in the entire check-in hall during her jumps... such should track and field be all the time! The reaction I heard when Olsson tied the WR with his 17,83 could be compared to the reaction a sold-out home crowd gives a baseball player who slugs the game-winning HR in the bottom-of-the-ninth. It was unbelievable!

[tafnut]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

We could only wish for anything close to that here. Not gonna happen. What a coincidence that Sweden supports their track athletes so well, and Swedish athletes are doing so well right now.

[EPelle]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

I couldn t agree with you more on both points. I hope that USA could see how awesome athletics is, and how many athletes in different sports have participated in athletics at some point in time.

[dl]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

Track has always been popular in Sweden, but it's especially so now because of the success of Klüft, Olsson, Holm, Bergqvist et. al.

Withouth these stars, the sport's popularity would be way down. And that's what's happening in many other European countries.

Simply put, there aren't enough European stars who are among the very best in the world, at least in those events which are popular with the public.

The Bislett Games are no longer sold out. No top Norwegians.

No top British middle distance runners. No top Italian distance runners, as in the 80's. How much longer will Europe continue to put on top meets if all events are being won by Africans, Americans and those from the Caribbean?

[EPelle]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

What is very special for Sweden this year is that Bislett is being held in Göteborg at Ullevi (site of 1995 World Champs) while Bislett Stadium undergoes some changes.

Track is on television nearly every week during the summer, and the television broadcasts show not just Swedes, but every athlete in every event.

The tv hosts are very knowledgeable (on-site internet helps), and present great televised meets -- not "shows".

[jla]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

> that Bislett is being held in
>Göteborg at Ullevi (site of 1995 World Champs) while Bislett Stadium undergoes
>some changes.

Not really. Göteborg was indeed suggested as the site for the Bislett Games for 2004 but in the end the meet remained in Norway as it temporarily has moved to Bergen while the Bislett Stadium in Oslo is completely renovated (or rather rebuilt).

[jla]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

>Track has always been popular in Sweden, but it's especially so now because of
>the success of Klüft, Olsson, Holm, Bergqvist et. al.
>Withouth these stars,
>the sport's popularity would be way down. And that's what's happening in many
>other European countries.
The Bislett Games are no longer sold out. No top
>Norwegians.

Of course the current crop of stars have provided a major boost to the Swedish interest, but it should be noted that the DN Galan meet was more or less sold out also during those years in the 90's when there was very little of national interest.
The story is somewhat different for Bislett which never was sold out in the 80's when they had all those Coe et al world records. The capacity crowds arrived with the Norwegian stars in the 90's and also disappeared with them.
However, already before the current "Golden Age" athletics (track & field) was rated among the top-4 (with soccer, icehockey and skiing) when Swedish TV viewers were surveyed concerning which sports they wanted to see!
Top-4 is far from "way down".

[EPelle]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

Not really. Göteborg
>was indeed suggested as the site for the Bislett Games for 2004 but in the end
>the meet remained in Norway as it temporarily has moved to Bergen while the
>Bislett Stadium in Oslo is completely renovated (or rather rebuilt).

Thanks for the correction... as late as 2 weeks ago there was still mention of buying tickets for Ullevi.

[EPelle]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

Swedes were treated to the following WRs over during the 80s and 90s at Stockholm stadium:

1997 800m Wilson Kipketer, DEN (eq) 1.41.73
1993 10000m Richard Chelimo, KEN 27.07.91
1990 Javelin Steve Backley, GBR 89.58
1989 3000m Steeplechase Peter Koech, KEN 8.05.35
1987 High Jump Patrik Sjöberg, SWE 2.42
1986 5000m women Ingrid Kristiansen, NOR 14.37.33
1984 10000m Fernando Mamede, POR 27.13.81

Add these DN Galan meet-record times and marks, and you will see why Sweden has been a very popular stop along the circuit:

100m 9.87 Maurice Greene USA 1999
200m 19.77 Michael Johnson USA 1996
400m 44.57 Alvin Harrison USA 2002
800m 1.41.73 Wilson Kipketer DEN 1997 World Record
1000m 2.14.28 Japhet Kimutai KEN 2000
1500m 3.29.30 Hicham El Guerrouj MAR 1997
1 mile 3.51.32 John Kibowen KEN 1998
2000m 4.50.08 Noah Ngeny KEN 1999
3000m 7.42.35 Charles Cheruiyot KEN 1989
5000m 12.51.60 Daniel Komen KEN 1996
10000m 27.07.91 Richard Chelimo KEN 1993 World Record
3000m SC 8.00.56 Wilson Boit Kipketer KEN 2002
110m h 13.12 Colin Jackson GBR 1999
400m h 47.98 Danny Harris USA 1990
High Jump 2.42 Patrik Sjöberg SWE 1987 World Record
Pole Vault 5.95 Rodion Gataulin URS 1989
Long Jump 8.59 Ivan Pedroso CUB 1997
Triple Jump 17.93 Kenny Harrison USA 1990
Shot Put 21.68 Udo Beyer GDR 1986
Discus 69.46 Mac Wilkins USA 1980
Hammer 77.06 Tore Gustafsson SWE 1989
Javelin 89.58 Steve Backley GBR 1990

Women

100m 10.90 Irina Privalova RUS 1994
200m 22.02 Irina Privalova RUS 1994
400m 50.13 Lorraine Fenton JAM 2002
800m 1.56.71 Maria Mutola MOZ 1998
1000m 2.30.72 Maria Mutola MOZ 1995
1500m 3.57.12 Mary Decker USA 1983
1 mile 4.24.6 Silvana Cruciata ITA 1981
3000m 8.40.76 Marie-Pierre Duros FRA 1991
5000m 14.37.33 Ingrid Kristiansen NOR 1986 World Record
10000m 31.55.11 Megumi Tanaka JPN 1997
100m h 12.42 Gail Devers USA 2002
400m h 54.27 Genowefa Blaszak POL 1985
High Jump 2.01 Hestrie Cloete RSA 2003
Pole Vault 4.78 Svetlana Feofanova RUS 2002 European Record
Long Jump 7.05 Galina Tjistiakova URS 1989
Triple Jump 14.79 Irina Mushailova RUS 1993
Shot Put 19.93 Maria Elena Sarria CUB 1980
Discus 64.76 Carmen Romero CUB 1980
Javelin 67.92 Trine Hattestad NOR 2000

[misterp]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

This question should probably be on the Historical site, but since we're talking Sweden -

I was at '95 worlds in Goteborg. The stadium and crowd were terrific, and it was a wonderful city to visit. That year, the home crowd cheered for a teeny, blond, 14-year old 5K runner. As I recall, she ran well in her heat but just missed making the finals. Anyone remember her name or know what happened to her?

[EPelle]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

Sarah Wedlund... eating disorders.

[jla]

Re: Swedish TV Viewing Stats

>I was at '95 worlds in Goteborg. The stadium and crowd
>were terrific, and it was a wonderful city to visit. That year, the home crowd
>cheered for a teeny, blond, 14-year old 5K runner. As I recall, she ran well
>in her heat but just missed making the finals. Anyone remember her name or
>know what happened to her?

Her name was Sara Wedlund.
Actually she was 19 at the '95 Worlds and she did actually reach the final where she finished 9th.
Later that year she got a silver medal at the European XC Championships.
In 1996 she took the 3000m silver at the European Indoor Championships, finished 11th in the Atlanta Olympics 5000m and finally won the European XC title.
However, since then she has had persistent injury problems (probably related to her four teenage years with anorexia) and her last (latest?) competition was a cross country race in spring of 1998.