Anders Gärderud

Sven Anders Gärderud (born 28 August 1946) is a Swedish former track and field athlete, winner of the 3000 m steeplechase event at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.[1][3][4]

Anders Gärderud
Anders Gärderud in 1968
Personal information
Full nameSven Anders Gärderud
NationalitySwedish
Born28 August 1946 (1946-08-28) (age 77)
Degerfors, Sweden
Height1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
CountrySweden
SportAthletics
Event(s)800–5000 m
ClubKA2 IF, Karlskrona;
Enebybergs IF;
Mälarhöjdens IK, Stockholm
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)800 m – 1:47.2 (1968)
1500 m – 3:36.73 (1974)
5000 m – 13:17.59 (1976)
3000 mS – 8:08.02 (1976)
5000 m – 13:17.59 (1976)[1][2]
Medal record
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place1976 Montreal3000 m steeplechase
European Championships
Silver medal – second place1974 Rome3000 m steeplechase

Gärderud was born to an orienteering competitor, and was an accomplished orienteer himself, winning a team gold medal at the 1977 Swedish Championships. He initially trained in orienteering and changed sports by chance – he was banned from running in the woods in autumn 1961 due to a jaundice epidemic and wandered into an athletic hall.[3]

Gärderud experimented with several events before focusing on the 3000 m steeplechase.[1] His first major competition were the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he was eliminated in the heats of 800 m and 1500 m. In the following years, Gärderud concentrated on the steeplechase, and was already a main favorite at the 1972 Summer Olympics, but, suffering from a cold, he was eliminated in his heat. Gärderud was also eliminated in the heats of the 5000 m at the Olympics,[1] but only seven days later, he set a new 3000 m steeplechase world record at 8:20.8.[2]

At the 1974 European Championships in Rome, Gärderud was beaten by Bronisław Malinowski of Poland,[5] yet next year he broke the 3000 m steeplechase world record three times.[2][6]

The culmination of Gärderud's career was at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where after a stirring contest with Malinowski and Frank Baumgartl, Gärderud won the gold medal in a new world record of 8:08.02.[1] His victory in that event would earn him a share of the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal with cyclist Bernt Johansson.

After retiring from competitions Gärderud worked as a TV commentator of athletics events and as the head coach of the Swedish athletics team.[1][3][4] In 1986 he married Annika Johansson.[7]

Competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Sweden
1966 European Indoor Games Dortmund, West Germany 6th 3000 m 8:12.8
1968 Olympic Games Mexico City, Mexico 24th (h) 800 m 1:48.9
35th (h) 1500 m 3:54.28
1972 Olympic Games Munich, West Germany 17th (h) 5000 m 13:57.2
19th (h) 3000 m s'chase 8:30.8
1974 European Championships Rome, Italy 2nd 3000 m s'chase 8:15.41
1976 Olympic Games Montreal, Canada 1st 3000 m s'chase 8:08.02 (WR)

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anders Gärderud.
  1. Anders Gärderud. sports-reference.com
  2. Anders Gärderud. trackfield.brinkster.net
  3. Anders Gärderud. Swedish Olympic Committee.
  4. Anders Gärderud. storagrabbar.se
  5. European Championships (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 13 January 2015.
  6. "12th IAAF World Championships In Athletics: IAAF Statistics Handbook. Berlin 2009" (PDF). Monte Carlo: IAAF Media & Public Relations Department. 2009. pp. Pages 546, 554. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2009.
  7. Uddling, Hans; Paabo, Katrin, eds. (1992). Vem är det: svensk biografisk handbok. 1993. Stockholm: Norstedt. p. 411. ISBN 91-1-914072-X
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