While We Wait for the Trial Eights...

While HTBS is getting ready to cover the races of Oxford's and Cambridge's trial eights today, we give you a Swedish tradition that falls on 13 December every year, the 'Sankta Lucia' celebration. Every school and every town and city elects their own Lucia, who also has maidens and 'star boys', the latter in funny hats (yes, I was forced to do that at school, and I hated every second of it). 

The Famous Swede: Zlatan

Yes, yes, I know this is a rowing history blog, but I would like to make an exception only to show you why the football [some of you might call it soccer] player Zlatan Ibrahimovic ended up on my 'Famous Swedes List'. Just have a look at the goal he scored yesterday when Sweden played against England. Hold on to your hats....



On Saturday 17 November, YouTube cut the previous video I had up due to copyright issues. The above one is from the Russian tv, which does not seem to have the same issue.

All Those Famous Swedes

So, dear reader of HTBS, how many of the 'famous' Swedes did you know or recognise? The quiz was a mix of film actresses, writers, pop stars, sport stars, celebrities, a diplomat, a 'Royal Hotness', an innovator, a singer. Was it difficult? I guess some of these persons could be tricky. Here are the right answers:

1) ABBA, pop group, Björn Ulvaeus (1945-), Agnetha Fältskog (1950-), Anni-Frid 'Frida' Lyngstad (1945-) and Benny Andersson (1946-)

2) Greta Garbo (1905-1990), film actress

3) Björn Borg (1956-), tennis player

4) Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982), film actress

5) Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007), writer, director, producer

6) Madeleine (1982-), Princess

7) Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), engineer, innovator

8) Pippi Longstocking, the world strongest girl, fictional character created by Astrid Lindgren (1907-2002). The monkey's Swedish name is Herr Nilsson (Mr. Nilsson)

 9)  August Strindberg (1849-1912), playwright, novelist

10) Noomi Rapace (1979-), film actress, who played Lisbeth Salander

11) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (1981-), football [soccer] player

12) Jenny Lind (1820-1887) 'The Swedish Nightingale', opera singer

13) Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1960), diplomat, UN Secretary-General

14) Victoria Silverstedt (1974-), model, 'film actress'

I received an e-mail yesterday from Australian rowing historian Louis Petrin, who had nailed all the answers, including Herr Nilsson, and for that he gets an extra point. Well done, Louis, I am very impressed!

Scores:
12 correct answers or more: regard yourself an 'Honorary Swede'
9 - 11 correct answers: very good
6 - 8 correct answers: good
4 - 5 correct answers: a little bad
2 - 3 correct answers: well, ehh... poor (surely, you can do better...)
0 - 1 correct answer: you don't like Swedes, do you?

Famous Swedes 14

I know gentlemen that you have been waiting for a blond Swedish girl. Here she is, but what is her name? And with her, HTBS ends its quiz on famous Swedes...

Famous Swedes 13

He was truly working for the World. Many Swedes believe that he was murdered.

Famous Swedes 12

During her day, she was probably the world's most famous Swede. She even got a vessel named after her.

Famous Swedes 11

There are many good stories about this man in my Swedish home town of Malmö. Nowdays, he is playing for a French club.

Famous Swedes 10

She was not this beautiful in the role that made her famous...

Famous Swedes 9

He is one of the Swedish authors who actully should have received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Famous Swedes 8

This must be the most famous fictional Swedish person in the world. You get extra points if you  know her monkey's Swedish name!

Famous Swedes 7

The Swedes are getting ready to celebrate this countryman of theirs, which they do every year on 10 December.

Famous Swedes 6

This beautiful young lady has moved to New York like some other famous Swedes. But sometimes her father needs her in Stockholm.

Famous Swedes 5

In his genre he is the Master...

Famous Swedes 4

In this photograph she is only 14 years old. She would grow up to be a very famous Swede...

Famous Swedes 3

After a couple of international victories in grand competitions, every child in Sweden wanted to play tennis.

Famous Swedes 2

She did some modelling in a department store before she became a world famous star. She settled in New York...

Famous Swedes 1

I guess you have to be a 'little' older to get the name of this group right, unless you are in for pop groups from the 1970s and early 1980s. And, no I was never dressed this way...