Emma Johansson facts for kids
Johansson at the 2016 Swedish National Road Race Championships
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Emma Karolina Johansson | ||
| Nickname | Silver Emma | ||
| Born | 23 September 1983 Sollefteå, Sweden |
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| Height | 1.67 m | ||
| Weight | 58 kg | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Retired | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | All-rounder | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Emma Karolina Johansson (born September 23, 1983) is a Swedish former professional cyclist. She was known for being a very strong rider in road races. People often called her Silver Emma because she won many second and third places in big races. In 2013, she was ranked as the number one female cyclist in the world by the UCI.
Emma won silver medals in the women's road race at two Olympic Games: in Beijing (2008) and Rio de Janeiro (2016). She also earned one silver and two bronze medals at the Road World Championships. She holds a special record at the Tour of Flanders for Women, where she finished on the podium four times. Even though she often came in second or third, she won many important one-day races like Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio.
She was also very good at stage races, which are races that happen over several days. She won the Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen three times, the Emakumeen Euskal Bira twice, and the Belgium Tour once. She even won a stage in the Giro d'Italia Femminile, which is one of the biggest women's cycling races.
Contents
About Emma Johansson
Her Early Life and First Races
Emma Johansson was born in Sollefteå, a town in northern Sweden. When she was young, she started with cross-country skiing. But then, her older brother got her interested in mountain biking. She trained on special dirt roads and lit trails near her home. When she was just 12 years old, in 1996, she won her first silver medal at the Swedish national mountain bike championships.
Her Big Year: 2008
The year 2008 was a very important one for Emma. She joined a new cycling team and had a great spring season. She finished third in one race and seventh and ninth in others. On August 10, she won a silver medal in the women's road race at the Beijing Olympics. She made a smart move, joining a group of leading riders, and finished second. A few days later, she competed in the time trial race, finishing 21st.
After the Olympics, she won the overall title at the Trophée d'Or Féminin stage race. At the World Championships that year, she was again in the lead group and finished fourth.
Success in 2009 and Beyond
In 2009, Emma continued to do well. She finished second and third in several big races. She won the Ronde van Drenthe race and took the lead in the UCI Women's Road World Cup, which is a series of important races. She was only the second Swedish cyclist to ever wear the leader's jersey in this competition.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, she finished 6th in the road race and 14th in the time trial. In August 2015, it was announced that Emma would join a new team, Wiggle High5, for her final years of racing.
Her Life Off the Bike
On January 8, 2011, Emma married Martin Vestby, who was also a cyclist and became her personal manager. They live in Zingem, Belgium, and have two children together.
Images for kids
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Johansson at the 2015 Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen; she won the race for the third time in five years, equalling Judith Arndt's record of overall race victories.
See also
In Spanish: Emma Johansson para niños
