Ove Fundin facts for kids

Competition record
Representing  Sweden
Speedway World Championship
Gold	1956
Gold	1960
Gold	1961
Gold	1963
Gold	1967
Silver	1957
Silver	1958
Silver	1959
Bronze	1962
Bronze	1964
Bronze	1965
Speedway World Team Cup
Gold	1960
Gold	1962
Gold	1963
Gold	1964
Gold	1967
Gold	1970
Silver	1961
Silver	1965
Silver	1968
Bronze	1966
Speedway World Pairs Championship
Gold	1968
Silver	1969
Silver	1970
Golden Helmet
Gold	1967
Silver	1968
Long Track World Championship
Silver	1961

Ove Fundin (born May 23, 1933) is a famous Swedish former professional motorcycle speedway rider. He raced in the Speedway World Championships from 1951 to 1970. Fundin is known for winning the Speedway World Championship Final five times. Only Ivan Mauger and Tony Rickardsson have won more, with six titles each.

Ove Fundin also finished second three times (1957–1959) and third three times (1962, 1964, 1965). This means that from 1956 to 1967, he always finished in the top three at the World Finals. That's an amazing record of eleven podium finishes! People called him "the Flying Fox" or just "the Fox" because of his red hair. He rode for the Sweden national speedway team 99 times.

Ove Fundin's Speedway Career

Ove Fundin was born in Tranås, Sweden. An Australian champion, Aub Lawson, suggested he should race in Britain. So, Ove joined the Norwich Stars team in 1955. He rode for them until 1964, when their stadium closed.

Racing for British Teams

After Norwich, he rode for other British teams. He was with Long Eaton Archers in 1966. Then he joined Belle Vue Aces in 1967. In 1970, he rode for Wembley Lions. However, fans mostly remember his amazing time with the Norwich Stars.

World Championships and Team Success

Ove Fundin competed in 15 World Finals. Besides his five wins, he also finished second three times and third three times. He was a key part of the Swedish team that won the Speedway World Team Cup six times. These wins were in 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1967, and 1970. He also won the Speedway World Pairs Championship in 1968.

Many people consider him one of the greatest speedway riders ever. He is often mentioned alongside legends like Ivan Mauger and Hans Nielsen. In 1960, Fundin went through the entire World Team Cup without losing a race. This was a rare achievement. Only Australia's Jason Crump matched it in 2001.

Success in Australia

Ove Fundin also had great success when he visited Australia. He raced for Sweden and "Rest of the World" teams against Australia. He won the South Australian Individual Speedway Championship four times. These wins were in 1966, 1967, 1969, and 1970 at the Rowley Park Speedway in Adelaide. He also won the Western Australian Individual Speedway Championship in 1969 at the Claremont Speedway in Perth.

Swedish National Titles

He won a record nine Swedish Championships. This shows how dominant he was in his home country.

Awards and Recognition

Ove Fundin received several special awards for his achievements.

Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal

In 1961, Fundin was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal. This is a very important sports award in Sweden. He shared it with Sten Lundin.

Freedom of the City of Norwich

In 2006, Ove Fundin was given the honour of being a Freeman of the City of Norwich. He was only the second non-English person to receive this award. The ceremony took place at Norwich City Hall on October 30, 2006.

FIM Legend

In 2013, Fundin was named an FIM Legend. FIM is the world governing body for motorcycle racing. This award recognized his incredible achievements in motorcycling.

Life After Racing

After retiring from speedway, Ove Fundin moved to the French Riviera. This is a beautiful coastal area in France. In 2024, he joined a charity cycling team. He met them at the end of their journey, which was raising money for the Speedway Riders Benevolent Fund. This fund helps speedway riders in need.

World Final Appearances

Individual World Championship

• 1954 - London, Wembley Stadium - 16th place - 2 points
• 1955 - London, Wembley Stadium - 6th place - 10 points
• 1956 - London, Wembley Stadium - Winner - 13 points
• 1957 - London, Wembley Stadium - 2nd place - 14 points + 2 points (in run-off)
• 1958 - London, Wembley Stadium - 2nd place - 13 points
• 1959 - London, Wembley Stadium - 2nd place - 13 points
• 1960 - London, Wembley Stadium - Winner - 14 points + 3 points (in run-off)
• 1961 - Malmö, Malmö Stadion - Winner - 14 points
• 1962 - London, Wembley Stadium - 3rd place - 10 points + 3 points (in run-off)
• 1963 - London, Wembley Stadium - Winner - 14 points
• 1964 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 3rd place - 13 points + 2 points (in run-off)
• 1965 - London, Wembley Stadium - 3rd place - 13 points + 2 points (in run-off)
• 1967 - London, Wembley Stadium - Winner - 14 points + 3 points (in run-off)
• 1968 - Gothenburg, Ullevi - 9th place - 7 points
• 1969 - London, Wembley Stadium - 7th place - 9 points

World Pairs Championship

• 1968* - Kempten, Illerstadion (with Torbjörn Harrysson) - Winner - 24 points (Fundin scored 14)
• 1969* - Stockholm, Gubbängens IP (with Göte Nordin) - 2nd place - 27 points (Fundin scored 15)
• 1970 - Malmö, Malmö Stadion (with Bengt Jansson) - 2nd place - 25 points (Fundin scored 15)

* These were unofficial World Championships.

World Team Cup

• 1960 - Gothenburg, Ullevi (with Olle Nygren / Rune Sörmander / Björn Knutson) - Winner - 44 points (Fundin scored 12)
• 1961 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Sören Sjösten / Rune Sörmander / Björn Knutson / Per Tage Svensson) - 2nd place - 30 points (Fundin scored 11)
• 1962 - Slaný (with Björn Knutson / Sören Sjösten / Göte Nordin / Rune Sörmander) - Winner - 36 points (Fundin scored 9)
• 1963 - Vienna, Stadion Wien (with Björn Knutson / Per Olof Söderman / Göte Nordin / Rune Sörmander) - Winner - 37 points (Fundin scored 7)
• 1964 - Abensberg, Abensberg Stadion (with Björn Knutson / Göte Nordin / Rune Sörmander / Sören Sjösten) - Winner - 34 points (Fundin scored 6)
• 1965 - Kempten, Illerstadion (with Björn Knutson / Bengt Jansson / Göte Nordin) - 2nd place - 23 points (Fundin scored 8)
• 1966 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium (with Björn Knutson / Leif Enecrona / Göte Nordin / Leif Larsson) - 3rd place - 22 points (Fundin scored 2)
• 1967 - Malmö, Malmö Stadion (with Göte Nordin / Bengt Jansson / Torbjörn Harrysson) - Winner - 32 points (Fundin scored 6)
• 1968 - London, Wembley Stadium (with Bengt Jansson / Anders Michanek / Olle Nygren / Torbjörn Harrysson) - 2nd place - 30 points (Fundin scored 11)
• 1969 - Rybnik, Rybnik Municipal Stadium (with Bengt Jansson / Sören Sjösten / Anders Michanek / Torbjörn Harrysson) - 4th place - 12 points (Fundin scored 2)
• 1970 - London, Wembley Stadium (with Bengt Jansson / Anders Michanek / Sören Sjösten) - Winner - 42 points (Fundin scored 11)