Sweden is a country, which tends to up the sport spirits. The country is a very successful nation in international sports.

In fact, Sweden ranks seventh in the Olympic medals table with a total of 550 medals, of which 170 gold. In recent years stars such as Jan-Ove Waldner, Ludmila Enquist, Peter Forsberg, Annika Sörenstam, Pernilla Wiberg and Fredrik Ljungberg have kept the Swedish colours flying high in international arenas.

Sweden has set a history in producing a number of sport champions. The older generation will remember Gunder Hägg, who broke world records in middle distance running. Looking at the world map one may be surprised that Sweden has warm summers and real winter only from the middle and further north. Sweden is really a country where almost any sport can be played, and sport is by far the most popular pastime in Sweden. The Swedish climate allows great summer, as well as winter, sports of all kinds.

Part of the reason as to why sports are so important to the Swede is that Sweden has, ever since 1912 annually held international sports events.