Both mom Ulrika and dad Jan were on site when their 21-year-old son Victor Lindgren won the Olympic silver medal with his air rifle in Châteauroux, out in the French countryside.
The parents, however, had to stand outside the shooting arena when the drama was decided and watch it all from a big screen.
We wrote to Victor: "We're not coming in, but we're here," says mom Ulrika Lindgren.
The night before, when they knew their son was in the Olympic final, they had frantically searched for tickets online – but in vain.
"They don't care"
Dad Jan is very critical of the organizer.
There are too few tickets here, but they don't care. We've asked, Victor has asked. It didn't work. What are we supposed to do?
There should have been tickets for those who are in the final, a couple of them.
Instead, the parents bought tickets to the clay pigeon shooting. Ulrika Lindgren says they'll get to see the final on TV again afterwards. Even the shooting federation's chairman, Johan Carlson, who sat in the stands where there were empty seats, is very critical of the Olympic organizer's setup.
It's pretty tough. It's sad, but I have no insight into how the rules work.
Mom and dad are otherwise very proud of their son. As soon as they were out of the arena, they hugged him tightly.
If he has a good day, everything works. It's absolutely an Olympic Games, but it doesn't matter, says Jan Lindgren.
He is also the chairman of the local shooting club Sjöbo USG in Skåne, but the parents have no background in sports from the start.
It just happened. It was big brother André who started shooting and then we got engaged and helped out. Then big sister Matilda also started shooting.
More SOK support?
Little brother Victor was born on May 16, 2003. At the age of three, he fired his first shots.
He sat in mom's lap. Mom aimed and he pulled the trigger, says dad and laughs.
The talent was there early and Victor Lindgren moved to the shooting high school in Sävsjö as a teenager. He works as a welder alongside his elite sports effort, but maybe he can get the opportunity for a bigger investment after the Olympic silver medal.
So far, that part has been pretty tough.
It's not entirely impossible that he can get more support from SOK (Swedish Olympic Committee), says Jan Lindgren.
TT seeks a comment from the organizer.
