Knut Henry Eriksson (January 23, 1920 – January 8, 2000) was a Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 athlete

Athletics (track and field)

Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...

, winner of 1500 m at the 1948 Summer Olympics

1948 Summer Olympics

The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in London, England, United Kingdom. After a 12-year hiatus because of World War II, these were the first Summer Olympics since the 1936 Games in Berlin...

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All through his running career, Henry Eriksson was overshadowed by his fellow countryman Lennart Strand

Lennart Strand

Lennart Strand was a Swedish middle distance runner who won the silver medal over 1500 m at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. The race was won by his compatriot Henry Eriksson. Strand also equalised Gunder Hägg's 1500 m world record of 3:43.0 in Malmö in 1947...

, except in only and most important occasion at the London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 Olympic Games

Olympic Games

The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...

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Eriksson made his first international appearance at the 1946 European Championships in Oslo

Oslo

Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

, finishing second in 1500 m, behind Strand. On July 15, 1947, in the Swedish National Championships at Malmö

Malmö

Malmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...

, Eriksson and Strand had a very close 1500 m race, which Strand won with a new world record

World record

A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...

 of 3:43.0. Eriksson was second in time of 3:44.4, and that would remain his personal best in that distance.

At London, the main favourites to the 1500 m Olympic gold were Swedes Strand, Eriksson and Gösta Bergkvist

Gösta Bergkvist

Sven Gösta Bergkvist is a Swedish athlete who competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, where he finished 5th out of 36 competitors in the men's 1500 metres event. He was born in Sågmyra and competed out of Gefle IF. He was the Swedish national cross-country champion in 1947 and...

. In the Olympic final the conditions were perhaps not the best. The race itself started in heavy rain and on a sodden track. After one kilometer, Eriksson and Strand picked up the speed and swept past the rest of the field. With 400 m to go they were 15 yards (13.7 m) ahead of Wim Slijkhuis

Wim Slijkhuis

Willem Slijkhuis was a Dutch athlete, who during his career from 1939 until 1954 for a long time was one of the world’s best middle distance runners...

 of Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. Coming out of the last curve, Strand tried to pass Eriksson but didn't manage to get past his rival. Eriksson was a good four yards clear to win in 3:49.8.

Eriksson was one of the three Olympic Flame

Olympic Flame

The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...

 lighters of the 1956 Summer Olympics

1956 Summer Olympics

The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...

 equestrian

Equestrianism

Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

 events at Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

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