Lasse Granqvist facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lasse Granqvist
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Lasse Granqvist in 2013.
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Lars Ivar Granqvist
25 October 1967 Solna, Sweden
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| Nationality | Swedish |
| Occupation | Sports journalist, businessman |
Lars Ivar "Lasse" Granqvist, born on October 25, 1967, is a famous Swedish sports journalist. He worked for Sveriges Radio from August 1987 until January 2013. There, he commented on football games with expert Ralf Edström and ice hockey with Lars-Gunnar Jansson.
Lasse is well-known for how quickly he speaks when commentating and for his clear voice. He has also worked for C More Entertainment since January 2000.
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Lasse Granqvist's Early Life
Lasse Granqvist was born in Solna, Sweden, on October 25, 1967. He grew up in Solna. His father helped create "The Bench," a place where men would gather at a shopping mall. They often talked about sports there.
As a child, Lasse wasn't very good at playing sports himself. When he was young, his father sent him to a football practice. It was raining, and they practiced headers. Lasse hit the ball once, and it hurt, so he went home.
In ice hockey, he could only stop on his ice skates in one direction. This meant he always ended up in the snow! Instead of playing, he often acted as a referee and commented on the games at the same time. He did play floorball in Division 1 for IBK Solna, scoring 38 points in 50 games.
How Lasse Became a Commentator
When Lasse was a child, he loved listening to the Sportextra show on Sveriges Radio P4. He would wear big headphones and take notes. He used different colored pencils to mark goals, penalties, and other important moments in ice hockey matches.
When there were no real games, he and a friend would make up their own. It was clear that Lasse was meant to be a sports commentator. When he was ten, he would commentate on races against traffic lights in the car. He even commented on cycling races from a sandbox table, even if he couldn't see the cyclists!
In school, Lasse was very good at languages. He could easily tell what was correct. He could memorize whole texts and books for exams. This skill helps him today, as he finds it easy to learn team lineups.
During his last year of high school, he called Sveriges Radio to ask what he needed to do to work there. They told him he needed to go to Journalist College. Lasse studied very hard and got excellent grades. He later enrolled at the Journalist College at Stockholm University.
For his internship, Lasse was the only one who wanted to work at Radiosporten, the sports section of Sveriges Radio. He won a lottery to get the spot.
Lasse Granqvist's Career in Sports Media
On January 16, 1988, Lasse Granqvist started at Radiosporten. After his internship, he worked several temporary jobs before being hired permanently on May 1, 1989. His role model as a commentator was Lasse Kinch. He also learned a lot from the passion of Tommy Engstrand and the direct style of Åke Strömmer.
Other commentators had moved on, creating an opportunity for Lasse. He commented on his first major international game in 1990. His big breakthrough came during the 1991 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. Lasse traveled to Finland to commentate. Sweden became world champions after Mats Sundin scored the winning goal. Lasse and expert commentator Lars-Gunnar Jansson commented on this exciting moment.
Lasse was the head of Radiosporten from 1998 to 1999. He had his own company starting in 2000 and worked with both Radiosporten and Canal+.
Famous Commentary Moments
Lasse Granqvist is known for his fast and clear commentary. During a game between Sweden and Finland in the 2003 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships, he spoke 118 words in just 23 seconds!
In 2011, when Sportextra celebrated its 50th anniversary, people voted for the best sports quotes of all time. Four of Lasse's quotes were chosen among the top seven.
Lasse worked for 25 years at Radiosporten. For 13 of those years, he worked for both radio and television at the same time. He later left radio to focus on television when he moved to C More Entertainment and TV4.
As of 2017, Lasse Granqvist has commented on many major sports events. These include 5 FIFA World Cups, 6 UEFA European Championships, 20 Ice Hockey World Championships, 6 Summer Olympic Games, and 6 Winter Olympic Games. He has also commented on at least 120 international football matches.
Lasse Granqvist's Personal Life
Lasse Granqvist is the chairman of the Swedish Sports Academy Nomination Jury. He is also member number 84 of the Swedish Sports Academy.
He is a big fan of AIK Fotboll, a football club. Lasse lives in Gustavsberg, which is located outside Stockholm.
Awards and Recognition
Lasse Granqvist has received many awards for his work:
- Lennart Hyland's Special Prize (1994)
- Ikaro Prize, with Ralf Edström (1994)
- Sveriges Radio's Language Prize (1999)
- Sports journalist of the year in Stockholm (2003)
- Stora Retorikpriset ("Great Rhetoric Prize") (2006)
- SvenskaFans.com Golden Shield in different categories (2008–2011)
- Radio Academy's Honorary Prize (2012)
- Lukas Bonnier's Grand Prize for Journalism (2013)
