Gert Fredriksson facts for kids

Gert Fredriksson at the 1960 Olympics
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	21 November 1919 Nyköping, Sweden
Died	5 July 2006 (aged 86) Nyköping, Sweden
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb)
Sport
Sport	canoe sprint
Club	Nyköpings Kanotklubb
Medal record Representing  Sweden Olympic Games Gold 1948 London K-1 1000 m Gold 1948 London K-1 10000 m Gold 1952 Helsinki K-1 1000 m Gold 1956 Melbourne K-1 1000 m Gold 1956 Melbourne K-1 10000 m Gold 1960 Rome K-2 1000 m Silver 1952 Helsinki K-1 10000 m Bronze 1960 Rome K-1 1000 m World Championships Gold 1948 London K-1 500 m Gold 1948 London K-1 4×500 m Gold 1950 Copenhagen K-1 1000 m Gold 1950 Copenhagen K-1 4×500 m Gold 1954 Mâcon K-1 500 m Gold 1954 Mâcon K-1 1000 m Gold 1954 Mâcon K-1 4×500 m Silver 1950 Copenhagen K-1 10000 m Silver 1958 Prague K-1 500 m Bronze 1958 Prague K-1 1000 m Bronze 1958 Prague K-1 4×500 m

Gert Fridolf Fredriksson (born November 21, 1919 – died July 5, 2006) was an amazing Swedish sprint canoeist. He is known as one of the greatest canoeists of all time.

Gert competed in four Summer Olympics. He won a total of eight Olympic medals. These included six gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal. He is still the most successful Swedish Olympian ever, based on his six gold medals.

Olympic Achievements

Gert Fredriksson was a true legend at the Olympics. He won gold medals in three different Olympic Games. His first two gold medals came at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He won the K-1 1000 metres and the K-1 10000 metres races.

At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, he won another gold in the K-1 1000 metres. He also earned a silver medal in the K-1 10000 metres.

His success continued at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. There, he won two more gold medals. These were for the K-1 1000 metres and the K-1 10000 metres.

Gert's final Olympic medals came at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. He won a gold medal in the K-2 1000 metres race. He also took home a bronze medal in the K-1 1000 metres.

After his incredible career as an athlete, Gert Fredriksson became a coach. He was the head coach for the Swedish team at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

World Championship Success

Besides his Olympic triumphs, Gert Fredriksson also had great success at the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships. He won seven gold medals at these championships.

His World Championship medals include:

• Gold in K-1 500 m (1948, 1954)
• Gold in K-1 1000 m (1950, 1954)
• Gold in K-1 4×500 m (1948, 1950, 1954)
• Silver in K-1 10000 m (1950)
• Silver in K-1 500 m (1958)
• Bronze in K-1 1000 m (1958)
• Bronze in K-1 4×500 m (1958)

Other Awards and Recognition

Gert Fredriksson's amazing achievements were recognized with several awards. In 1949, he received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal. This is a very important award in Sweden for sports.

In 1956, the International Olympic Committee gave him the Mohammad Taher trophy. This award is given to the world's top sportsman. Gert Fredriksson is the only canoeist to ever receive this special trophy.

National and Nordic Championships

Gert Fredriksson was also very successful in races within Sweden and the Nordic region. He won a total of 71 medals in the Swedish championships. Between 1942 and 1960, he earned 32 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 2 bronze medals in various K-1 events at the Swedish championships.

In the Nordic Championships, held between 1946 and 1955, he won 17 gold medals. These included multiple golds in the K-1 500 m, K-1 1000 m, K-1 10000 m, and K-1 4×500 m relay events. His consistent wins show how dominant he was in the sport for many years.