(Photos provided by Victor Sailor of photorun.net)
Sweden is a country in northern Europe with a population of 9.4 million. As a comparison, Ohio has a population of 11.5 million. Over one half of the population participates in sporting activities and these activities have become somewhat of a national movement. This is aided by heavy government subsidies of sport associations (föreningsstöd). The country’s two main spectator sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. The Swedish hockey team is considered one of the best in the world. One of the up and coming participant sport activities however, is Track & Field. This is due to some recent international successes and to a very strong youth program. One individual coming out of the youth program and onto the National and International scene is a 16 year old Pole Vaulter, Melker Svärd Jacobsson.
Melker is one of Swedens’ up and coming “Athletics” stars, having pole vaulted 17-10.75 this past February as a 16 year old. Most recently, he placed 2nd in the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France with a vault of 16-10.75. He has won the country’s indoor and outdoor 13-14 year old National Championships 3 times with a PR of 13-09.25, he has won the country’s 15-17 year old National Championships 3 times, with a PR of 17-05 and is currently the country’s #2 vaulter finishing 2nd in their Senior Nationals with a vault of 17-06.75.
OHRunners is provelidged to have the opportunity to interview some of Ohio’s and the nation’s best Track & Field athletes, but rarely have we had the opportunity to interview elite High School age athletes from other countries. Following the IAAF Championships however, we had the opportunity to interview Melker and to discuss his career, as well as some of the differences in the Swedish school system and in the country’s athletic programs. Both are very different than our programs in the US.
Melker Svärd Jacobsson
Date of Birth: 08/01/1994
Personal Best Indoors: 5.45 (17-10.50) Tampere 02/05/2011
Personal Best Outdoors: 5.15 (16-10.75) Lille 07/10/2011
OHRunners: Melker, thank you so much for the opportunity to interview you. We seldom have the opportunity to talk with young athletes from other countries that are elite performers at what we call the High School level. I’d like to get started with a few questions in regards to your earlier years.
What sports did you participate in when you were younger?
Melker: When I was younger, I participated in swimming, climbing, hockey, golf, football (soccer) and of course, athletics.
OHRunners: Is "Athletics" what we refer to as "Track & Field?"
Melker: Yes athletics is Track and Field.
OHRunners: When did you first learn about pole vault? When did you first start to vault?
Melker: I began to practice athletics when I was 10 years old in the local club. At that time, I did almost all the events there are. After one month, I think I saw a couple of athletes practicing pole vault. I thought it look very cool, so I asked the pole vault coach if I could try it out. At first he thought that I was too young, but he let me try. And after the first session, I was sold.
OHRunners: Melker, What is your school system like? Do you have school sports?
Melker: In Sweden we begin school at the age of 7. From 7 to 16 year old it’s called “Grundskola”. And after that, we have “Gymnasiet.” Gymnasiet is for 16 to 19 year olds. So, I just finished the first year of “Gymnasiet”. After Gymnasiet, then you go on to the University (same as in the USA).
In Sweden you don’t compete for your school, you compete for your club. You can start practicing athletics in what age you want. When you are 13-14 years old, we have competitions for the southern and northern parts of Sweden. These are the biggest competitions for that age. 15-17 year olds have a Youth National Championships. 18-19 year olds have a Junior National Championships. After that, we compete at the Senior National Championships. All of these competitions are both indoors and outdoors.
OHRunners: I’d like to understand more about your "Clubs." Are the clubs private or public? Are they associated with a town or in a larger city an area of the city? Do you have to pay to participate or are they open (free) for all youth? What Club do you represent? How big is the Club?
Melker: Well, the clubs are public and almost every club is associated with a town or area (part of a city). We need to pay to participate in a club. It’s not expensive though. I go to and represent “Malmö Allmänna Idrottsförening,” or, as we call it, “MAI”. (http://mai.se/) I think there are about 1000 athletes in my club. We are one of the biggest clubs in Sweden.
Note: Malmö Allmänna Idrottsförening, also known simply as Malmö AI or MAI, is based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Svenska Friidrottsförbundet. The club's outdoor training and events are held at Malmö Stadion while indoor training and events are held at Atleticum. The club's colours are white and green. The club was founded on 7 September 1908.
OHRunners: You mentioned that you have been doing pole vault since you were 10 years old. Did you first start competing then as a 13-14 year old? How did you do as a 13-14 year old in competitions? What height did you clear then? Did you compete in your Youth National Championships last year? How did you do? Was this your second year competing in Youth or third year?
Melker: I started training pole vault when I was 10 years old. I started competing when I was 10 also. What I said about competitions for the different ages are just the biggest competitions. We have other competitions as well. So, I’ve been competing since I was 10 years old.
I have won both the indoor and outdoor competition for 13-14 year olds, the (Götalandsmästerskapen) 3 times all together. The best result I had in those competitions is 4.20m (13-09.25). That was when I was 14 years old.
I have won our Youth Nationals competition, for 15-17 year olds, 3 times, both indoors and outdoors. My best result was this past winter when I jumped 5.31m (17-05.00).
I have also competed in our Senior Nationals. I came in sixth place in 2009 outdoors when I was 15 years old. I jumped 4.70 m (15-05.00). Last winter (2011), I finished second in our Senior Nationals with the result 5.35m (17-06.75).
OHRunners: You mentioned that you were second in Senior Nationals indoors. Who was first and what was his vault height?
Melker: The one who won the Swedish nationals indoors was Alhaji Jeng. He jumped 5.55m (18-02.50)
OHRunners: Let me ask some questions about your practice or what we refer to as “work outs.” Can you take me through a typical week of practice? In other words, what do you do on Monday, Tuesday…........ with a competition on Saturday? Please be specific as to running, lifting, vault drills, technique and actual jumping.
Melker: My typicalTraining week is like this:
Monday: warm up, gymnastic (everything from somersault to working on the rings), sprinting 60 meters.
Tuesday: warm up, total body strength,
Wednesday: warm up, walking exercises with pole, pole vaulting (first with 4 and 6 steps straight pole, jumping with bar at 8 steps, with bar at 12 steps, with bar at 16 steps), sprint 60 meters, strength on the bar.
Thursday: rest
Friday: warm up, easy jumping exercises (no pole), easy exercises on the bar.
Saturday: competing, same warm up as always: jogging 5-10 minutes, stretching, different skipping exercises, one or two 40 meters running.
Sunday: rest
OHRunners: I am very curious about some of your training. What type of "total body strength" exercises do you do?
Melker: We train in the gym. We do all the major muscle groups like thighs, calves, arms, stomach, back.
OHRunners: What is "Strength on the bar?"
Note: The “Bar” is a stationary , wall mounted, bar and is used for a variety of strength exercises.
Melker: We have a couple of different exercises that we do on the bar. It is really hard to describe them in words.
OHRunners: What are "easy jumping exercises?"
Melker: We have some different exercises that we do. I don't know what you call them, but we call them "vristhopp." It's like when you jump just with your ankles. We have some others too, but they are also very hard to describe in words.
Note: “vristhopp” is the Swedish term for a variety of stretching exercises.
OHRunners: What type of poles are you using? What length?
Melker: I’m using Nordic carbon fiber poles. The biggest pole I’ve jumped with is 4.75m (15-07) long with a flex of 16.5.
OHRunners: How many coaches do you have? What is/are your coach’s names?
Melker: I have one main coach and one who writes the strength program. My main coach’s name is Jesper Fritz. My other coach is Maria Rendin.
OHRunners: What is your strategy going into a competition when you first, know that you do not have any other athletes at your level and second, when you know that it will be very competitive?
Melker: I have almost the same strategy in all competitions. Although, it might change during competitions. (Photo courtesy of photorun.net, silver medalitst Melker on left, gold medalist Renner of Slovenia in center, and bronze medalist Jacob Blankenship of Gahanna Lincoln on right)
OHRunners: Last february you vaulted 5.45 (17-10.50) at Tampere. Is that a Swedish Youth record? If not, what is the record?
Melker: We don’t have official youth records, just Junior (up to 19 year old) records. Also, we only have official records outdoors. That record is at 5.45m (17-10.50).
OHRunners: Let me ask a few questions about yourself. How would you describe yourself as an athlete? What motivates you?
Melker: What motivates me is that I love pole vault. It’s as simple as that.
OHRunners: Are you finished with competition this year?
Melker: I twisted or sprained my ankle four weeks before the world youths’s in a competition at Hässleholm, so I couldn’t jump at all before the competition. My ankle was heavilly taped during the Youth championships. Right now, I’ve just started running normally again. So hopefully, I will be ready to compete at our Senior National Championships in 3 weeks. After that, I have about three or four competitions left.
OHRunners: What are your goals for the 2012 season?
Melker: My goal for 2012 is to win the World Junior Championships in Barcelona. Otherwise, I haven’t thought about 2012 that much. I try to just focus on one season at a time.
OHRunners: Melker, thank you so much for you time. We wish you the best success at your Senior National Championships and will be watching you in 2012 as well. Thank you again for your time.
(Photos provided by Victor Sailor of photorun.net)
Sweden is a country in northern Europe with a population of 9.4 million. As a comparison, Ohio has a population of 11.5 million. Over one half of the population participates in sporting activities and these activities have become somewhat of a national movement. This is aided by heavy government subsidies of sport associations (föreningsstöd). The country’s two main spectator sports are football (soccer) and ice hockey. The Swedish hockey team is considered one of the best in the world. One of the up and coming participant sport activities however, is Track & Field. This is due to some recent international successes and to a very strong youth program. One individual coming out of the youth program and onto the National and International scene is a 16 year old Pole Vaulter, Melker Svärd Jacobsson.
Melker is one of Swedens’ up and coming “Athletics” stars, having pole vaulted 17-10.75 this past February as a 16 year old. Most recently, he placed 2nd in the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France with a vault of 16-10.75. He has won the country’s indoor and outdoor 13-14 year old National Championships 3 times with a PR of 13-09.25, he has won the country’s 15-17 year old National Championships 3 times, with a PR of 17-05 and is currently the country’s #2 vaulter finishing 2nd in their Senior Nationals with a vault of 17-06.75.