Patrik Sjöberg

Patrik Sjöberg

Patrick Sjöberg 2011
Personal information
Full name	Jan Niklas Patrik Sjöberg
Born	(1965-01-05) 5 January 1965 Gothenburg, Västra Götaland County
Height	2.00 m (6 ft 6.7 in)
Sport
Country	Sweden
Club	Örgryte IS
Retired	1999
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	2.42 m 2.41 m (indoors)
Medal record Men’s Athletics Olympic Games Silver 1984 Los Angeles High jump Silver 1992 Barcelona High jump Bronze 1988 Seoul High jump World Championships Gold 1987 Rome High jump World Indoor Championships Gold 1985 Paris High jump Silver 1993 Toronto High jump Bronze 1989 Budapest High jump European Indoor Championships Gold 1985 Athens High jump Gold 1987 Lievin High jump Gold 1988 Budapest High jump Gold 1992 Genoa High jump

Jan Niklas Patrik Sjöberg (born 5 January 1965 in Gothenburg, Västra Götaland) is a former Swedish high jumper and previous world record holder. With 2.42 metres (7 ft 11.3 in), he holds the Swedish as well as the European record in men's high jump. His 1987 world record 2.42m - set in Stockholm on 30 June 1987 - is the best jump in history for anyone who has not tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. However, Sotomayor bettered that mark outdoors three times (1988, 1989 and 1993) and he did not test positive on any of those occasions. Sjöberg is also a two-time world indoor record holder with marks of 2.38 m (1985) and 2.41 m (1987). In 1989, he underwent Achilles tendon surgery and his career went downhill.

Sjöberg has a gold medal from the World Championships in Rome 1987 and has 3 olympic medals. Two silver medals from Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992 and one bronze medal from Seuol 1988. Sjöberg is the only high jumper that has won medals from more than two olympic games.

Sjöberg received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1985. He has inspired many later Swedish high jumpers, most notably Kajsa Bergqvist, Linus Thörnblad, Staffan Strand, and Stefan Holm. His world record of 2.42 m was broken one year later, when, on the eve of the Seoul Summer Olympics, Javier Sotomayor jumped 2.43 m in September 1988 at a meet in Spain.

In his 2011 autobiography, Sjöberg revealed that he had been sexually molested as a child by Viljo Nousiainen, a prominent Swedish athletics coach.

Competition record

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing Sweden
1981	European Junior Championships	Utrecht, Netherlands	8th	2.16 m
1982	European Indoor Championships	Milan, Italy	10th	2.22 m
1983	European Junior Championships	Schwechat, Austria	3rd	2.21 m
	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	11th	2.23 m
1984	European Indoor Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	7th	2.24 m
	Olympic Games	Los Angeles, United States	2nd	2.33 m
1985	World Indoor Games	Paris, France	1st	2.32 m
	European Indoor Championships	Piraeus, Greece	1st	2.35 m
1986	European Indoor Championships	Madrid, Spain	6th	2.24 m
	European Championships	Stuttgart, West Germany	6th	2.25 m
1987	European Indoor Championships	Liévin, France	1st	2.38 m
	World Indoor Championships	Indianapolis, United States	–	NM
	World Championships	Rome, Italy	1st	2.38 m
1988	European Indoor Championships	Budapest, Hungary	1st	2.39 m
	Olympic Games	Seoul, South Korea	3rd	2.36 m
1989	World Indoor Championships	Budapest, Hungary	3rd	2.35 m
1991	World Indoor Championships	Seville, Spain	13th	2.24 m
	World Championships	Tokyo, Japan	7th	2.31 m
1992	European Indoor Championships	Genoa, Italy	1st	2.38 m
	Olympic Games	Barcelona, Spain	2nd	2.34 m
1993	World Indoor Championships	Toronto, Canada	2nd	2.39 m
1995	World Championships	Gothenburg, Sweden	6th	2.32 m

Further reading

• Sjöberg, Patrik; Sjöberg, Birgitta (1994). Att leva på hoppet (in Swedish). Sportförlaget. ISBN 978-9188540485. 
• Sjöberg, Patrik; Lutteman, Markus (2011). Det du inte såg (in Swedish). Norstedts Förlag. ISBN 978-9113034300. 

External links

• IAAF profile for Patrik Sjöberg
• Patrik Sjöberg at Sports-Reference.com
• Men's high jump records - IAAF

Records
Preceded by Igor Paklin	Men's High Jump World Record Holder 30 June 1987 – 8 September 1988	Succeeded by Javier Sotomayor
Awards
Preceded by Gunde Svan	Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal 1985	Succeeded by Tomas Johansson
Sporting positions
Preceded by Igor Paklin	Men's High Jump Best Year Performance 1987	Succeeded by Javier Sotomayor