The day started with panic over a missing number plate. But it ended with EM gold in walking for Perseus Karlström.
The jubilation broke out when Karlström came into the Olympic Stadium in Rome after a two-mile walk and when he passed the finish line, the 34-year-old collapsed. But it seemed that he still had some strength left. Almost immediately, the Swede did a few arm exercises.
And then the Viking helmet went on, which he usually wears when it's time for championship medals.
The 34-year-old took gold at the team-VM in the spring. But he has no victories in major championships. Until now.
When asked what the gold meant, considering how he and his mother Siv Karlström, who is his trainer, have struggled in the background of athletics, all the way until they were recently taken up by the Swedish Athletics Association.
The two-mile race on a track around the Olympic Stadium in Rome was very demanding due to the heat, sun, and almost 30 degrees at the start.
The Swede was in the lead in most parts of the race, but about halfway through, the Spaniard Paul McGrath pulled away.
It wasn't until he was inside the arena that Karlström finally saw McGrath and realized that the gold was his.
McGrath took silver, 18 seconds behind the Swede. The Italian Francesco Fortunato took bronze.
Karlström's day started with strong panic when he discovered that three number plates were missing. After searching the entire hotel room, he called his mother and asked for help.
Mom Siv, of course, found the number plates under the bed.
He was unsure what kind of gold celebration it would be. Some hours after the victory, his thoughts were already in the Olympics.
Born: May 2, 1990.
Club: Eskilstuna FI.
Personal best 20 km: 1.17.39
Medals: EM-gold, 20 km, Rome 2024, gold in team-VM (20 km) 2024, VM-silver, 20 km, Budapest 2023, VM-bronze 20 km, Doha 2019, VM-bronze 20 km, Eugene 2022, VM-bronze 35 km, Eugene 2022. EM-silver, 20 km, Munich 2022.
