Sports digest: Swedish hopes dashed in Osaka
Sports digest is The Local's weekly look at sporting events making the news in Sweden and beyond.
Athletics
Carolina Klüft's golden start aside, Sweden's medal hopes came crashing down at the World Championships in Osaka.
Stefan Holm failed to hit top form in the high jump competition and finished up in fourth place.
The same fate awaited Susanna Kallur whose personal best was not enough to put her among the medals.
Mustafa Mohamed put in a stirring performance in the 3,000m steeplechase final only to be kept off the podium by a trio of Kenyans.
Even the ever-reliable Kajsa Bergqvist struggled in the Japanese heat. Her failure to clear the bar at 1.97m left her in seventh place, a position she shared with compatriot Emma Green.
Football
Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored both goals as champions Inter Milan beat Empoli 2-0 on Saturday to go top of Serie A, albeit temporarily.
Inter, still missing injured pair Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira, were in front after 13 minutes when Ibrahimovic volleyed in a Maicon cross.
Against the run of play Inter made sure of the three points with seven minutes remaining.
Dejan Stankovic combined with substitute Luis Figo down the right and Cesar touched on for the unmarked Ibrahimovic to sidefoot home.
***
A scoreless draw at home to Brommapojkarna was enough to lift in-form Gothenburg to the top of the Allsvenskan table on Sunday.
The league's other form side, AIK, will be looking to stretch their winning streak to six matches when they come up against Hammarby in Monday night's hotly anticipated derby clash.
Allsvenskan: Table and results.
Tennis
Swedish tennis stars Jonas Björkman and Thomas Johansson bowed out of the US Open in Flushing Meadows in the second and third rounds respectively.
US fifth seed Andy Roddick fired 19 aces without a double fault and blasted
41 winners with only 11 unforced errors to eliminate Johansson 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in 84 minutes.
Previously, 20 year-old Scot Andy Murray was left exhausted after the 3 hours 37 minutes marathon against Jonas Björkman, at 35 the oldest man in the draw.
Despite the 15 year age gap, Björkman impressed with his fitness and durability.
"He's in really good shape," said Murray. "I know he won two five-setters back to back at the French this year. He also won back to back five-setters last year at Wimbledon."
AFP/The Local
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Athletics
Carolina Klüft's golden start aside, Sweden's medal hopes came crashing down at the World Championships in Osaka.
Stefan Holm failed to hit top form in the high jump competition and finished up in fourth place.
The same fate awaited Susanna Kallur whose personal best was not enough to put her among the medals.
Mustafa Mohamed put in a stirring performance in the 3,000m steeplechase final only to be kept off the podium by a trio of Kenyans.
Even the ever-reliable Kajsa Bergqvist struggled in the Japanese heat. Her failure to clear the bar at 1.97m left her in seventh place, a position she shared with compatriot Emma Green.
Football
Swedish international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored both goals as champions Inter Milan beat Empoli 2-0 on Saturday to go top of Serie A, albeit temporarily.
Inter, still missing injured pair Marco Materazzi and Patrick Vieira, were in front after 13 minutes when Ibrahimovic volleyed in a Maicon cross.
Against the run of play Inter made sure of the three points with seven minutes remaining.
Dejan Stankovic combined with substitute Luis Figo down the right and Cesar touched on for the unmarked Ibrahimovic to sidefoot home.
***
A scoreless draw at home to Brommapojkarna was enough to lift in-form Gothenburg to the top of the Allsvenskan table on Sunday.
The league's other form side, AIK, will be looking to stretch their winning streak to six matches when they come up against Hammarby in Monday night's hotly anticipated derby clash.
Allsvenskan: Table and results.
Tennis
Swedish tennis stars Jonas Björkman and Thomas Johansson bowed out of the US Open in Flushing Meadows in the second and third rounds respectively.
US fifth seed Andy Roddick fired 19 aces without a double fault and blasted
41 winners with only 11 unforced errors to eliminate Johansson 6-3, 6-2, 6-0 in 84 minutes.
Previously, 20 year-old Scot Andy Murray was left exhausted after the 3 hours 37 minutes marathon against Jonas Björkman, at 35 the oldest man in the draw.
Despite the 15 year age gap, Björkman impressed with his fitness and durability.
"He's in really good shape," said Murray. "I know he won two five-setters back to back at the French this year. He also won back to back five-setters last year at Wimbledon."
AFP/The Local
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