Anders Gärderud

Who is Anders Gärderud?

Sven Anders Gärderud is a Swedish former athlete, winner of the 3000 m steeplechase event at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Born in Stockholm, Gärderud experimented with several events before rising to athletic greatness in the 3000 m steeplechase.

Gärderud's first major competition were the 1968 Summer Olympics, where he was eliminated in the heats of 800 m and 1500 m. In the following years, Gärderud concentrated only to the 3000 m steeplechase, and was already a main favourite at the 1972 Summer Olympics, but, suffering from a cold, he was eliminated in his heat. Gärderud was also eliminated in the heats of the 5000 m at the Olympics, but only seven days later, he set a new 3000 m steeplechase world record of 8:20.8.

At the 1974 European Championships, Gärderud was narrowly beaten by Bronisław Malinowski of Poland, but managed to break the 3000 m steeplechase world record twice in 1975. At first he ran 8:10.4 and only six days later 8:09.8.

The culmination of Gärderud's career was at the 1976 Summer Olympics, where after a stirring contest with Malinowski and Frank Baumgartl, Gärderud won the gold medal in a new world record of 8:08.02.