Even before his sixth and final attempt, the 28-year-old had secured at least a bronze medal.
In his last attempt, however, the Swede improved to 20.97 metres, but it was only good enough for third place in the final.
"I want to advance. My intention was not to stay in third place. I wanted to move on," says Petersson.
He himself wasn't nervous when the competitors before him entered the ring.
I was pretty confident though. All the way through I knew what I needed to do. I felt like I was in a pretty good position all the way through.
It was a double Italian victory. Leonardo Fabbri won with 22.31 and compatriot Zane Weir took silver with 21.12.
The Swedish athlete Eric Lemming won Olympic bronze in the shot put in Athens in 1906, but it is often referred to as the “extra games” and is not always included in the Olympic history books. The games are not considered official by, for example, the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
"I heard it from the official down there. It's really cool," says Wictor Petersson about the historic medal.
He had his family there at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham and the support meant a lot.
"A lot. It's a pride to have them with us. It's a security to see them. It means a lot. It's great to have them here," says Petersson.
