Sweden national wheelchair rugby team

The Sweden national wheelchair rugby team represents Sweden in international wheelchair rugby. Sweden is the second most successful team in European competition, winning four gold medals at the European Championship. They have reached three Summer Paralympics, with their best finish being 5th in the 2000 Games in Sydney.

Sweden SWE
IWRF Ranking6
IWRF ZoneIWRF European
National FederationSwedish Parasports Federation
CoachBenoit Labrecque
Paralympic Games
Appearances2
Medals
World Championships
Appearances6
Medals
IWRF European Championship
Appearances11
Medals Gold: 1997, 1999, 2011, 2013
Silver: 1995, 2009, 2015, 2017
Bronze: 2005, 2007

Competitive record

edit

Paralympic Games

edit

Sweden have appeared in two Summer Paralympics, 2000 in Sydney and 2012 in London. They have qualified for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio when they secured second place at the 2015 IWRF European Championship.[1]

The 2000 Paralympics in Sydney were the inaugural Games for wheelchair rugby after the sport was included as a demonstration event four years earlier. Sweden were one of eight teams competing for medals and were placed in group A, along with Switzerland and eventual gold and silver medalists the United States and Australia.[2] Sweden lost to both the States and Australia, but a good 44 - 35 win over the Swiss, saw them finish the preliminaries in third place. Although out of medal contention, Sweden beat both Germany and Great Britain to finish in fifth place, the highest placed European team and Sweden's best Paralympic placing to date.[2]

Sweden failed to qualify for both the 2004 and 2008 Games, but after winning the 2011 European Championship in Nottwil they qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London. The team were placed in group B, with Belgium and in a repeat of their 2000 tournament they were grouped with the eventual gold and silver medalists, this time Australia and Canada.[3] They began the campaign with a convincing 52-42 win over Belgium but this was followed by defeat to Australia and a one point loss to the Canadians.[3] By finishing third Sweden were again unable to play for the medals. In the positional playoffs they started strongly by beating France 58–48, but in their final match they were convincingly beaten by the host nation, Great Britain, to finish in sixth place.[3]

Paralympic Games results
Year Position Pld W L
  2000 5th 5 3 2
  2012 6th 5 2 3
Total 10 5 5

IWRF World championship

edit
Year Position Pld W L
  1995 6th
  1998 4th
  2002 7th
  2006 9th
  2010 4th
  2014 7th 7 3 4
Total

References

edit
  1. ^ "IWRF 2015 European Championship Results". IWRF. 19 September 2015. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Sydney 2000 Paralympic Game, Wheelchair rugby". IPC. 2000. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
  3. ^ a b c "London 2012 Paralympic Games: Wheelchair Rugby". IPC. 2000. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2015.
edit