Speedway: Royal tributes to Tony Rickardsson / Speedway

Tony Rickardsson shaped the years around the turn of the millennium with a speed like no other. The Swede won the last one-day final in 1994 and by 2005 had won a total of eleven World Championship medals in twelve years, just missing out on the top three at the World Championships in 1996. With six Championship titles of the World, the Swede has been the record world champion since 2005 with Ivan Mauger. At the national level, Rickardsson became the Swedish champion eight times. He also won the World Team Championship three times and the World Best Pairs Championship once.

In 2006, Rickardsson ended his career during the season after the Danish Grand Prix in Copenhagen and has undoubtedly been one of the legends of speed racing ever since. In the youth work area, Rickardsson is responsible for SGP4 bikes and has been one of the sport’s ambassadors on behalf of GP promoter Warner Bros. Discovery since 2022.

On April 9, Rickardsson was invited to the Royal Palace of Sweden, where he was awarded “5. Golden Majesty on a blue ribbon” for his outstanding contribution to the sport of speed in Sweden from the King of Sweden Carl Gustaf XVI. has been received. “It was very interesting,” said Rickardsson on Swedish television, “it’s been 20 years since I played hard in sprints. There is something special about remembering. I enjoy past achievements and of course it is something special when you receive a medal from the king for that.

Athletes honored at a glance:

Anna-Carin Ahlquist and Jörgen Persson (table tennis), Per Elofsson (skiing), Lars Frölander (swimming), Emma Johansson (cycling), Sofia Mattsson (wrestling, national coach), Tony Rickardsson (motorcycle racing) ) and Anna -Carin Zidek, (biathlon and cross country skiing).