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Anders Gärderud

Anders Gärderud

Anders Gärderud in 1968
Personal information
Full name	Sven Anders Gärderud
Nationality	Swedish
Born	28 August 1946 (1946-08-28) (age 77) Degerfors, Sweden
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
Country	Sweden
Sport	Athletics
Event	800–5000 m
Club	KA2 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 1976 Montreal 3000 m steeplechase European Championships 1974 Rome 3000 m steeplechase

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 OlympicsinMontreal.^[1][3][4]

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 ChampionshipsinRome, Gärderud was beaten by Bronisław MalinowskiofPoland,^[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]

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
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)

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