Patrik Sjöberg

Jan Niklas Patrik Sjöberg (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈpɑ̌ːtrɪk ˈɧø̂ːbærj]; born 5 January 1965) is a Swedish former high jumper. He broke the world record with 2.42 m (7 ft 11+1⁄4 in) in Stockholm on 30 June 1987. This mark is still the European record and ranks him third on the world all-time list behind Javier Sotomayor and Mutaz Essa Barshim. He is also a former two-time world indoor record holder with marks of 2.38 m (1985) and 2.41 m (1987). He is the 1987 World Champion and a three-time Olympic medallist.

Patrik Sjöberg
Patrik Sjöberg 2013
Personal information
Full nameJan Niklas Patrik Sjöberg[1]
Born (1965-01-05) 5 January 1965[1]
Gothenburg, Sweden[1]
Height2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)[1]
Weight84 kg (185 lb)[1]
Sport
Country Sweden
ClubÖrgryte IS
Retired1999
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)2.42 m
2.41 m (indoors)
Medal record
Men’s Athletics
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place1984 Los AngelesHigh jump
Silver medal – second place1992 BarcelonaHigh jump
Bronze medal – third place1988 SeoulHigh jump
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1987 RomeHigh jump
World Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place1985 ParisHigh jump
Silver medal – second place1993 TorontoHigh jump
Bronze medal – third place1989 BudapestHigh jump
European Indoor Championships
Gold medal – first place1985 AthensHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1987 LievinHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1988 BudapestHigh jump
Gold medal – first place1992 GenoaHigh jump

Early life

Sjöberg was born in Gothenburg, Västra Götaland, and was a member of the Örgryte IS club.

Career

Sjöberg has a gold medal from the World Championships in Rome 1987 and has three Olympic medals: silver medals from Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992, and a bronze medal from Seoul 1988. Sjöberg is the only high jumper to have won medals in more than two Olympic Games. He won the 1985 World Indoor Games, is a four-time European Indoor champion and twice won the World Cup title.

Sjöberg received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1985. He has inspired many later Swedish high jumpers, most notably Kajsa Bergqvist, Linus Thörnblad, Staffan Strand, and Stefan Holm. His world record of 2.42 m was broken 15 months later, when, on the eve of the Seoul Summer Olympics, Javier Sotomayor jumped 2.43 m in September 1988 at a meet in Spain.

Sjöberg competed as a celebrity dancer in Let's Dance 2014, finishing fourth.

Sjöberg, who is a survivor of child sexual abuse, is co-founder of the website Dumpen.se. They chat with pedophiles and child groomers online posing as underage (under 15, the age of consent in Sweden) children. If the predator wants to meet the ”child”, Sjöberg and his associate Sara Nilsson travel to confront him, then post the chat logs and the video of their confrontation on the website.

Personal life

In his 2011 autobiography, Sjöberg revealed that he had been sexually molested as a child by his coach Viljo Nousiainen, a prominent Swedish athletics coach.[2]

He has a daughter, Isabelle.

Competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionNotes
Representing  Sweden
1981 European Junior Championships Utrecht, Netherlands 8th 2.16 m
1982 European Indoor Championships Milan, Italy 10th 2.22 m
1983 European Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary – NM
European Junior Championships Schwechat, Austria 3rd 2.21 m
World Championships Helsinki, Finland 11th 2.23 m
1984 European Indoor Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 7th 2.24 m
Olympic Games Los Angeles, United States 2nd 2.33 m
1985 World Indoor Games Paris, France 1st 2.32 m
European Indoor Championships Piraeus, Greece 1st 2.35 m
World Cup Canberra, Australia 1st 2.31 m1
1986 European Indoor Championships Madrid, Spain 6th 2.24 m
European Championships Stuttgart, West Germany 6th 2.25 m
1987 European Indoor Championships Liévin, France 1st 2.38 m
World Indoor Championships Indianapolis, United States 1st (q) 2.24 m2
World Championships Rome, Italy 1st 2.38 m
1988 European Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 1st 2.39 m
Olympic Games Seoul, South Korea 3rd 2.36 m
1989 World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 3rd 2.35 m
World Cup Barcelona, Spain 1st 2.34 m1
1991 World Indoor Championships Seville, Spain 13th 2.24 m
World Championships Tokyo, Japan 7th 2.31 m
1992 European Indoor Championships Genoa, Italy 1st 2.38 m
Olympic Games Barcelona, Spain 2nd 2.34 m
1993 World Indoor Championships Toronto, Canada 2nd 2.39 m
1995 World Championships Gothenburg, Sweden 6th 2.32 m

1Representing Europe
2No mark in the final

References
  1. "Patrik Sjöberg". Olympedia.org. OlyMADmen. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  2. Wallechinsky, David; Loucky, Jaime (2012). The Complete Book of the Olympics 2012. London: Aurum Press. pp. 216–217. ISBN 978-1845136956.

Further reading
  • Sjöberg, Patrik; Sjöberg, Birgitta (1994). Att leva på hoppet (in Swedish). Sportförlaget. ISBN 978-9188540485.
  • Sjöberg, Patrik; Lutteman, Markus (2011). Det du inte såg (in Swedish). Norstedts Förlag. ISBN 978-9113034300.
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