PHOTO: Youtube
Ingemar Stenmark is one of Sweden’s greatest athletes ever.
He has certainly earned all the accolades over the years.
Above all, the one he received at the Sports Gala when he gave “Stenis” the most prestigious award to great rivals.
He is the great pride of Swedish sports and a true role model for so many. Nowadays, it is difficult to understand exactly how successful and loved Ingemar Stenmark was actually during his heyday as a downhill skier.
“Steni’s” career
“Stenis” completely dominated alpine skiing for many successful years and there are few other athletes who have been so superior in their sports. It says everything about his greatness that the regulations were changed to even out the competition and inhibit Stenmark’s constant profits.
The article continues after the picture.
The Swedish legend was just 18 years old when he took home the very first World Cup victory of his career in classic Madonna di Campiglio, Italy. 16 years later, Stenmark summed up an absolutely unparalleled career with an incredible 86 World Cup victories, 2 Olympic golds and 5 World Cup golds.
READ MORE: Ingemar Stenmark’s emotional confession to Peter Forsberg – and Foppa’s beautiful answer: “You should know that…”
Rivals celebrate
But he was not only loved by us Swedes but also by his opponents. Which we got the perfect proof of during the 2011 Sports Gala when everyone’s eyes were directed at Ingemar Stenmark at the honors table, see the video below.
The article continues after the picture.
When it was time to hand out the prestigious Sports Academy’s honorary award, the justification read: “To a person in sports who, through his lasting efforts, created admiration and respect and enriched Swedish sports”. And onto the stage stepped the Swede’s old rivals, the twin brothers Phil and Steve Mahreto present the prize to Stenmark.
– Ingemar, you’re the man!, they immediately exclaimed.
– In our heads, those were the best years ever in skiing history. And you are the greatest ever.
READ MORE: Ingemar Stenmark reveals his unexpected gratitude to Björn Borg – after the decisive life decision: “I was lucky”
Stenmark’s words
After that, it’s time for Ingemar to step up on stage and receive the award. Then there will also be the standing ovations from all the other athletes in place during the Sports Gala, see the video below.
In addition to powerful scenes and a clear goosebumps, it is a taken Ingemar Stenmark who is of few words, as so many times before.
“Thank you so much for the award and thank you for the applause,” he says humbly.
Is Ingemar Stenmark the greatest ever in Swedish sports? Share the article and have your say!
Watch the video: