Patrik Sjöberg
Quick Facts
Biography
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 fourth best in history, and only Javier Sotomayor and Mutaz Essa Barshim have achieved a higher jump. Sjöberg is also a two-time world indoor record holder with marks of 2.38m (1985) and 2.41m (1987).
Sjöberg has a gold medal from the World Championships in Rome 1987 and has three Olympic medals: silver medals from Los Angeles 1984 and Barcelona 1992, and a bronze medal from Seoul 1988. Sjöberg is the only high jumper to have won medals in 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 2.42m was broken 15 months later, when, on the eve of the Seoul Summer Olympics, Javier Sotomayor jumped 2.43m 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.
Sjöberg competed as a celebrity dancer on Let's Dance 2014 in which he made it to the top 4.
He has also a daughter, Isabelle.
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 | |
World Cup | Canberra, Australia | 1st | 2.31 m1 | |
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 | 1st (q) | 2.24 m2 | |
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 |
World Cup | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 2.34 m1 | |
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 |
1Representing Europe
2No mark in the final