Bengt Nilsson (athlete)

Bengt Nilsson ( Nils Bengt Nilsson, born February 17, 1934 in Härnösand ) is a former Swedish high jumper, the 1954 European champion.

Before the 1954 season, the world record stood in the high jump at 2.12 meters, set in 1953 by American Walt Davis. The European record of the Finn Kalevi Kotkas of 2.04 m was from the year 1936.

On June 15, 1954 Nilsson presented in Södertälje, a Swedish record with 2.02 m. On July 2, he jumped 2.03 m in Gothenburg and was the sole Swedish record holder. A week later in Halmstad he managed a jump of 2.05 meters, which he had surpassed the European record of Kotka. On July 15, he jumped in Gothenburg 2.10 m. In mid-August he won the Swedish championship title with 2.09m in Stockholm as last year.

The High Jump Final of the European Athletics Championships in Bern was fought on August 29. Nilsson began at 1.90 m. After the initial height he also jumped 1.93, 1.96, 1.98, 2.00 and 2.02 m in the first attempt and was European champion in front of the Czechoslovaks Jiří Lansky. After that, he still tried his hand at 2.06 m, but did not have the necessary concentration after winning the title on.

On September 19 Nilsson then succeeded in Gothenburg in another improvement of the Europe record to 2.11 m, with which he had approached jumped up on a centimeter to the world record.

Overall, Nilsson joined in 1954 to 47 competitions in 37 of them he crossed at least two- meter mark. For his outstanding season he was in 1954 awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal -.

In 1955 he defended his national title, but could not build on its previous achievements afterwards.