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Success and Elegance at the Swedish Sports Awards
With historic Olympic medals, and multiple nominations, Swedish beach volleyball heroes David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig, along with table tennis sensation Truls Möregårdh, are among the stars of this year’s Swedish Sports Awards. Dressed in exclusive tuxedos from Oscar Jacobson, they share their favourite memories from the year and what the future holds. Read more and get inspired by the journeys of Truls, as well as Åhman and Hellvig—both on and off the court.
Truls Möregårdh
> You’re soon heading to the Swedish Sports Gala. How does it feel to be nominated in four out of seven categories: Male Athlete of the Year, Performance of the Year, Team of the Year with the Men's national team, and the Sportsradio’s Jerring Prize?
Truls: It feels incredibly honourable to be nominated alongside such amazing athletes.
> Winning an Olympic medal is a dream for many athletes. Can you describe the feeling during the medal ceremony – receiving two medals – and what this remarkable achievement means for your career?
Truls: Standing on the podium felt wonderfully surreal. At the same time, earning two Olympic medals is a fantastic reward for countless hours in the training hall.
> What three qualities or pieces of advice would you say are most important for achieving success as an athlete?
Truls: Passion, train smart, and have a plan – a good plan.
> After the Olympics this past summer, is there a competition, opponent, or perhaps something entirely different that you dream of achieving?
Truls: Zlatan has challenged me, and that’s definitely a match I’m looking forward to this year.
> What feels better to wear, athletic wear or a tuxedo? ;)
Truls: Right now, I feel very comfortable in my tuxedo from Oscar Jacobson.
David Åhman och Jonatan Hellvig
> You’re soon heading to the Swedish Sports Gala. How does it feel to not only be nominated in the Team of the Year category but also for the people’s choice, Jerring Prize?
David: It feels incredibly exciting to be nominated for both Team of the Year and the Jerring Prize at the Sports Gala. The competition is tough this year, but we’re extremely proud of what we achieved in 2024, regardless of whether we win any awards or not.
Jonatan: It’s amazing to be nominated. We’ve had an incredible 2024, and it’s great to see our efforts being recognized at the gala.
> Winning an Olympic gold is something many athletes dream of. Can you describe the feeling when you became gold medalists, and what does this victory mean for your careers?
David: I’ll never forget the moment I hit the match point in the final—it was pure euphoria! Winning an Olympic gold has been a lifelong dream for us, and we never thought we’d achieve it so soon.
Jonatan: The Olympics has always been our biggest dream, so winning gold felt almost unreal! It’s the pinnacle of success in beach volleyball, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see that all our hard work has paid off.
> What three qualities or pieces of advice would you say are the most important for achieving success—both as athletes and teammates?
David: Determination, perseverance, and joy are three key factors for success in almost anything in life. If you’re clear about your goals, have the drive to pursue them, and can do so with a sense of joy, I believe you can achieve almost anything.
Jonatan: I think the most important thing is to enjoy what you do so that you stay motivated to train hard for a long time. It’s also crucial to believe in what you’re doing and have a clear vision of where you want to go.
> After such a historic victory, is there a specific competition, opponent, or perhaps something entirely different that you dream of achieving?
David: The Olympics is the ultimate goal in sports, and just because we’ve won one gold doesn’t mean we stop dreaming about more Olympics and more medals. We’ve set our sights on Los Angeles 2028, but we’re also looking forward to many other competitions along the way.
Jonatan: We want to keep competing at the top level and, of course, aim to win more medals at major championships.
> What feels better to wear—athletic wear or a tuxedo?
David: Wearing a tuxedo definitely beats shorts and a tank top any day, but I think I’ll leave the tuxedo at home when I’m heading to the beach to play!
Jonatan: I’m probably most comfortable in shorts and a tank top, but it’s always a special feeling to get dressed up in a tuxedo!