Lennart Strand (13 June 1921 – 23 January 2004) was a Swedish middle-distance runner who specialized in the 1500 m. In this event he won the national title in 1945–47, 1949 and 1950 and the European title in 1946, beating his compatriot Henry Eriksson. Two years later he finished second behind Eriksson at the 1948 Summer Olympics. In 1947 Strand equaled Gunder Hägg's 1500 m world record of 3:43.0 in Malmö.[1][3][2]
![]() Lennart Strand at the Swedish National Championships in Stockholm, Sweden in July 1947 | |||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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Born | (1921-06-13)June 13, 1921 Malmö, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||
Died | January 23, 2004(2004-01-23) (aged 82) Malmö, Sweden | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Weight | 61 kg (134 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||
Sport | Athletics | ||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 800 m, 1500 m | ||||||||||||||||
Club | MAI Malmö | ||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||
Personal best(s) | 800 m – 1:51.8 (1949) 1500 m – 3:43.0 (1947)[1][2] | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Strand retired from competitions in 1950 after abandoning the 1500 m final race at the European Championships. He was an accomplished piano player,[4] and released several jazz albums in 1952. He also worked as a sportswriter for the Sydsvenska Dagbladet newspaper. Strand died in 2004 due to injuries sustained in a traffic accident in late 2003.[1]
Records | ||
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Preceded by![]() |
European Record Holder Men's 1500m 15 July 1947 – 28 June 1952 |
Succeeded by |
European Athletics Championships champions in men's 1500 metres | |
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US National Championship winners in men's 1500-meter run or mile | |
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1876–78 New York Athletic Club |
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1879–88 NAAAA |
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1888–1979 Amateur Athletic Union |
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1980–92 The Athletics Congress |
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1993-onwards USA Track & Field |
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Notes |
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