Bengt Nilsson

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Bengt Nilsson ( Nils Bengt Nilsson ; born February 17, 1934 in Härnösand ; † May 11, 2018 ) was a Swedish high jumper who became European champion in 1954.

Before the 1954 season, the world high jump record was 2.12 m, set in 1953 by the American Walt Davis . The European record of the Finn Kalevi Kotkas of 2.04 m came from 1936.

On June 15, 1954, Nilsson set the Swedish record in Södertälje with 2.02 m. On July 2, he jumped 2.03 m in Gothenburg, making him the sole Swedish record holder. A week later he managed a jump of 2.05 m in Halmstad, with which he had surpassed the European record of Kotkas. On July 15 he jumped 2.10 m in Gothenburg. In mid-August he won the Swedish championship with 2.09 m in Stockholm, as in the previous year.

The high jump final of the European Championships in Bern was held on August 29th. Nilsson started at 1.90 m. After the initial height he also jumped 1.93, 1.96, 1.98, 2.00 and 2.02 m in the first attempt and was thus European champion ahead of the Czechoslovak Jiří Lanský . After that, he tried his hand at 2.06 m, but after winning the title, he couldn't concentrate anymore.

On September 19, Nilsson succeeded in Göteborg a further improvement of the European record to 2.11 m, with which he jumped to within one centimeter of the world record.

In total, Nilsson took part in 47 competitions in 1954, in 37 of which he crossed at least the 2-meter mark. For his outstanding season he was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet gold medal in 1954 .

In 1955 he defended his national title, but could no longer build on his earlier achievements.

literature

  • Report in the professional journal Leichtathletik (BRD) from 1954; Reprinted in Klaus Amrhein & Axel Schäfer: 60 years of European Athletics Championships. Groß-Zimmer / Bochum 1998
  • Portrait in the specialist magazine Der Leichtathlet (GDR) from December 23, 1954

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Höjdhopparen Bengt ”Benke” Nilsson är död. In: Aftonbladet. May 15, 2018, Retrieved May 16, 2018 (Swedish).
personal data
SURNAME Nilsson, Bengt
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Nilsson, Nils Bengt (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swedish high jumper
DATE OF BIRTH February 17, 1934
PLACE OF BIRTH Harnösand
DATE OF DEATH May 11, 2018