Irene Ekelund

Irene Michelle Ekelund (pronounced [ajriːnɪ eːkɛlɵnd]; born 8 March 1997) is a Swedish track and field sprint athlete who competes internationally for Sweden. On 14 July 2013 Ekelund won the gold medal at the World Youth Championships in Donetsk when she finished first in the 200 metres final. It was also the first gold medal for Sweden in a sprint event in a global championship ever.[1]

Irene Ekelund
Irene Ekelund during the Swedish Sports Awards in January 2014
Personal information
Full nameIrene Michelle Ekelund
NationalitySwedish
Born (1997-03-08) 8 March 1997
Pakistan
Sport
Country Sweden
SportAthletics
ClubMalmö AI (2013–)
Coached byLasse Eriksson
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Sweden
World Junior Championships
2014 Oregon200 m
World Youth Championships
2013 Donetsk200 m

Biography

Ekelund was born in Pakistan to a Swedish father and an Angolan mother during her father's United Nations-service in Pakistan. The family later moved back to Sweden and settled in Karlstad where she today lives with her mother and five siblings. She currently studies at the stylist program at her high school (gymnasium) in her hometown, and competes for a club in the southern Swedish city of Malmö, Malmö Allmänna Idrottsförening (MAI).[2] Ekelund has several times stated that she is not very interested in athletics, and that she does not have any real idols in the sport.[3]

Ekelund currently holds the Swedish indoor record in 200 metres.[4] At the Swedish National Indoor Championships in Norrköping 2013, Ekelund won gold medals in the distances 60 metres and 200 metres. Her international debut took place in the indoor-international between Sweden, Finland and Norway in Växjö, Sweden at January 20, 2013.[5] Later in 2013 she also made her international championship-debut when she competed in the World Youth Championships in Donetsk, Ukraine. She won the gold medal in 200 metres and finished fifth in the 100 metres final. She became the first Swedish athlete to win an international championship in a sprint event. Thanks to her performance, she was awarded "Newcomer of the Year" at the Swedish Sports Award.

Achievements
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
2013 World Youth Championships Donetsk, Ukraine 5th 100 m 11.62
1st 200 m 22.92 CR
2014 World Junior Championships Eugene, United States 6th 100 m 11.61
2nd 200 m 22.97
European Championships Zürich, Switzerland 13th (sf) 200 m 23.26
6th 4 × 100 m relay 44.36
2015 European Indoor Championships Prague, Czech Republic 19th (sf) 60 m 7.37
2019 European Indoor Championships Glasgow, United Kingdom 19th (sf) 60 m 7.41

Personal bests
Track Event Time Venue Date Note
Outdoor 100 m11.35Kil, Sweden8 June 2013NJR
200 m22.92Donetsk, Ukraine14 July 2013NJR
Indoor 60 m7.26Sätra, Sweden21 February 2015NJR
200 m23.15Norrköping, Sweden17 February 2013NR

References
  1. "Ekelund vann guld på 22,92" (in Swedish). Sveriges Television. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  2. Magnusson, Dan (11 February 2013). "Krönikan: Fin friidrott festlig feelgood-faktor för folket" (in Swedish). Smålandsposten. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
  3. "Ekelund: "Det värsta jag varit med om"" (in Swedish). Expressen. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  4. "Indoors round-up: Torneus, Lavillenie, Moreira hit form at Nationals". European Athletic Association. 18 February 2013. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013. Retrieved 23 February 2013.
  5. "Laget till Nordenkampen" (in Swedish). Swedish Athletic Association. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2013.
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