Gert Fredriksson
Swedish canoeist

Gert Fredriksson

The basics
Quick facts
Intro
Swedish canoeist
Gender:
Male
Places:
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Birth:
21 November 1919(Nyköping, Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden)
Death:
5 July 2006(Nyköping, Nyköping Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden)
The details
Biography

Gert Fridolf Fredriksson (21 November 1919 – 5 July 2006) was a Swedish sprint canoeist. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won eight medals including six golds (1948: K-1 1000 m, K-1 10000 m; 1952: K-1 1000 m, 1956: K-1 1000 m, K-1 10000 m; 1960: K-2 1000 m), one silver (1952: K-1 10000 m), and one bronze (K-1 1000 m). At the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Fredriksson was head coach of the Swedish team.

He was the most successful male canoeist ever, having gained medals in a succession of Swedish, Nordic, World and Olympic championships from 1942 to 1960. With six gold medals Fredriksson remains the most successful Swede at the Olympics.

He also won seven gold medals at the World Championships and 71 medals in the Swedish championships.

Fredriksson was awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1949. In 1956 he was awarded the Mohammad Taher trophy by the International Olympic Committee as the number one sportsman in the world, the only canoeist to be presented with this trophy.