In the lead-up to the European Athletics Team Championships, we take a closer look at this year’s contenders. This time, the spotlight falls on Sweden — a nation on the rise in its athletics journey, bringing a youthful and ambitious squad to Madrid 2025.
While still building consistency at the top tier of team competition, Sweden is proving itself a breeding ground for global stars, with athletes like Mondo Duplantis redefining what’s possible within their disciplines. With role models like this leading the way, Sweden looks poised to cultivate a new generation of world-class talent.
Flashback to 2023
At Silesia 2023, Sweeden delivered a valiant performance- securing 10th place in the First Division with a total of 283 points. This placement ensured their place within the first division for Madrid 2025, as they narrowly edged out Finland who finished just half a point behind with 282.5 points.
Daniel Ståhl claimed Sweden’s only event win of the weekend with a commanding 67.25m in the men’s discus throw, underlining his reputation as one of the most consistent throwers in the world.
Beyond the podium, Sweden’s success was built on depth and determination, with numerous top eight finishes keeping their score competitive throughout the competition. It was a resilient showing that highlighted the team’s ability to contend at this level — and hinted at things to come in Madrid 2025.
Track Record
- Budapest 2010, Hungary, First League (2nd place)
In Budapest 2010, Sweden were competing in the second tier of team athletics. The team delivered a well- rounded performance that landed them 323 points, second place overall and henceforth promotion to the top flight for the next edition of the championships.
In the men’s jumping events, Sweden dominated — Michel Torneus secured maximum points in the long jump with a leap of 7.98m, while Olympic, world and European gold medallist Christian Olsson claimed victory in the triple jump with a season’s best of 17.29m. Linus Thornblas also continued the theme with a second-place finish in the high jump.
In the women's competition Sweden saw further success in the field, Emma Green matched her season’s best in the high jump with a 1.94m clearance - taking home maximum points. Angelica Bengtsson vaulted 4.40m and secured third place in the women's pole vault.
- Vaasa 2017, Finland, First League (1st place)
In Vaasa 2017, Sweden returned to the second tier of European team athletics after a period marked by instability — bouncing between divisions and struggling to find sustained footing in the topflight. Trapped in a cycle of promotion and relegation, the Swedes were eager to break free and re-establish themselves among Europe’s elite.
And they did just that. Sweden produced a commanding all-round performance to top the First League standings with 320.5 points — edging out hosts Finland by six points and comfortably ahead of Switzerland by fifteen. All three nations earned promotion, but it was Sweden who stood tallest.
Their success was underpinned by standout individual results, including seven top three finishes in the field events alone — a strength that has become synonymous with Swedish team success.
- Bydgoszcz 2019, Poland, Super League (9th place)
At Bydgoszcz 2019, Sweden returned to the First Division eager to reaffirm their place among Europe’s elite. Finishing 9th with 275 points, their performance would have typically ensured safety from relegation.
However, due to a competition restructure ahead of Silesia 2021 — which reduced the number of teams in the top division — the bottom five teams were relegated instead of the usual three. Unfortunately for Sweden, their mid-table finish wasn’t enough this time, and they were among those demoted.
Despite the setback, the championships offered a glimpse of Sweden’s growing potential. Daniel Ståhl delivered a top three finish in the men’s discus, while Yolanda Ngarambe impressed with a standout victory in the women’s 3000m, clocking 9:07.67. Though relegated, Sweden’s mid-table finish hinted at a rising trajectory — and laid the groundwork for what we now recognize as the beginning of their resurgence.
Key Athletes
- Armand Duplantis- Men's pole vault
The biggest name in global athletics, Mondo Duplantis continues to break record after record in the men’s pole vault. The current Olympic, World and European champion- also the current world record holder (6.24m)- will potentially lead the charge for Sweden at Madrid 2025.
- Daniel Ståhl - men's discus throw
A giant in world throwing, Stahl is the current world champion following his 71.46m championship record throw at Budapest 2023, a former Olympic gold medallist (Tokyo 2020) and a winner of Sweden’s highest sporting honour the Bragdguldet award.
After a struggle during the 2024 season, Ståhl and his coaches have taken a step back and rerouted their approach- cutting back on competitions and taking a new approach to training to return to his explosive best.
- Fanny Roos - women's shot put
Sweden’s star shot putter, Fanny Roos, holds the national records both indoors (19.29m) and outdoors (19.66m). A consistent performer on the global stage, she placed 7th at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics and claimed silver at the Toruń 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships. As Sweden targets a top eight team finish in Madrid, Roos’s experience and reliability will be key in the field.
- Vanessa Kamga – Women’s discus
One of Sweden’s breakthrough athletes in the last 12 months Kamga set a new national record of 65.14m in qualifying at the Paris Olympics, before going to finish fifth in the final with 65.05m. This year, she won gold at the European Throwing Cup in Nicosia, Cyprus with 63.25m.
- Andreas Almgren - Men's 5000m
Andreas Almgren is one of Sweden’s premier distance runners, holding national records from the 1500m (3:32.00) to the half-marathon (59:23). Earlier this year, he broke the European 10km record with a 26:53 run at the Valencia 10K — confirming his place among the continent’s elite.
While increasingly known as a road specialist, Almgren remains just as sharp on the track. After narrowly missing out on medals with fourth place finishes at both the Roma 2024 European Athletics Championships and the Apeldoorn 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships, he returns with a point to prove.
Tom Hanson for European Athletics