Scan Magazine
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Cover Story
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Eight Young Scandinavians Breaking the Mould in the World of Sports
Holger Rune Photo: Atptour
Eight young Scandinavians breaking the mould in the world of sports From winter sports to racket sports and water sports, a current wave of young and talented sports stars from Scandinavia are making their mark everywhere. Here we look at eight promising young athletes lighting up the pitch, defying speed, swerving obstacles on the slope, or making a splash in the pool.
platform in Sweden. It seems that Ebba has only just begun, yet she has already achieved so much both on and off-piste.
By Trine Jensen-Martin
Rune was the youngest ever Danish male singles champion at 15, and before turning professional at 16 he won both the European U14s and Junior World Championships. In 2022 aged 19, he made his global debut reaching the quarter-finals at the French Open. That same year, he won the prestigious Rolex Paris Masters, beating world number one, tennis icon Novak Djokovic. Rune is now ranked fourth in the world. His energetic style on the court is earning him a reputation as an exciting and fast-paced player, with an uncanny ability to read both the game and his opponents. Rune is known for his
Ebba Årsjö (SE) Paralympic Alpine Skiing Årsjö is one of Sweden’s most thrilling, gifted, young para-athletes. Born in 2001 and diagnosed with the rare Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome, which has caused muscle reduction in her right leg, she started downhill skiing at the age of six. Today, at 22, she has a long list of impressive results to her name, including two gold medals at the World Championship in 2021, two golds and a bronze at the Winter Paralympics in 2022, and four golds at the 2023 World Championship.
Repeatedly hailed as an inspiration to her generation and to the paralympic community, she has received several prestigious awards in honour of her achievements and in recognition of her honesty and courage in talking openly about her disability. As the first Swedish Para athlete ever, she was awarded the Royal Family’s Victoria Prize, and at the Parasport Gala in May 2023, she won the esteemed Årets Specialpris for her outstanding achievements in sports and for her role in giving para sports a real
Holger Rune (DEN) Tennis
December 2023
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Issue 161
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