Nils Torolf Björklöf ( fin. Nils Torolf Björklöf ; April 12, 1921 , Inkoo - July 16, 1987 , Stockholm ) - Finnish rowing kayaker , played for the Finnish national team in the late 1940s. Twice bronze medalist of the Summer Olympic Games in London, world champion, multiple winner and medalist of national importance regattas.
| Niels björklöf | |
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| personal information | |
| Floor | |
| A country |  Finland |
| Specialization | kayak sprint |
| Date of Birth | April 12, 1921 |
| Place of Birth | Inkoo , Finland |
| Date of death | July 16, 1987 (66 years) |
| Place of death | Stockholm , Sweden |
| Growth | 173 cm |
| Weight | 76 kg |
Biography
Niels Björklöf was born on April 12, 1921 in the municipality of Inkoo in the Uusimaa region.
He achieved the greatest success at the adult level in the 1948 season, when he joined the main team of the Finnish national team and, thanks to a string of successful performances, won the right to defend the honor of the country at the Summer Olympics in London . Started in the standings of double kayaks with partner Ture Axelsson at distances of 10,000 and 1,000 meters. Ten kilometers in the race with a separate start of fifteen crews (the Henley rowing channel did not allow fifteen crews to start at the same time, so the boats started at intervals of 30 seconds) managed to take third place, leaving only crews from Sweden and Norway ahead, which received gold and silver, respectively. The next day in the race for the kilometer distance he qualified at the preliminary stage from the first place, however in the decisive final race he became the third again and added another bronze Olympic medal to the track record - he lost to the finish crews from Sweden and Denmark.
Having become a two-time bronze Olympic medalist, Björklöf remained in the main line-up of the Finnish rowing team for some time and continued to take part in major international regattas. So, in the same 1948, he visited the World Championships in rowing on smooth water in London and, in a pair with the same Tour, Axelsson, won the program of two-seater crews at a distance of 500 meters. In total, Niels Björklef won the Finnish National Championships in various rowing disciplines 16 times.
In 1956 he moved permanently to Sweden , and in 1963 received Swedish citizenship.
Died July 16, 1987 in Stockholm at the age of 66 years.
Literature
- Siukonen, Markku. Urheilukunniamme puolustajat - Suomen olympiaedustajat 1906–2000. - Graface. - Jyväskylä, 2001. - ISBN 951-98673-1-7 .
Links
- Niels Björklöf - Olympic statistics on Sports-Reference.com (English)
- Niels Björklöf - medals at major international competitions
- Lists of champions and prize-winners in rowing and canoeing (1936–2007) (English)