Lovisa Lindh Seeks a Dignified End to Her Athletic Career

Lovisa Lindh appeared as a guest expert on SVT, stating, "I haven't retired yet." However, the 33-year-old, once Sweden's leading middle-distance runner, plans to do so soon.

– I want to have a dignified end to my career, she says.

In the mid-2010s, Lovisa Lindh made a significant breakthrough and was Sweden's top female middle-distance runner for several years. Specializing in the 800 meters, she won a European Championship bronze in Amsterdam in 2016 and competed for Sweden at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics the same year.

She holds the Swedish record for the distance, 1:58.77, set in the summer of 2017, and represented Sweden at the World Championships in London 2017 and Doha 2019.

However, things became much tougher for Lindh afterward. She was not selected for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, despite meeting the international qualifying standard. Lindh described this exclusion as the toughest setback in her career, and since then, she has struggled to return to her previous level.

Lindh Explains Her Words on SVT: "I Want a Dignified End"

In 2023, she mentioned in an SVT interview that she aimed for the Paris Olympics, but that dream faded, and she has since largely disappeared from the spotlight.

Until early June this year. She appeared as a guest expert on SVT's broadcast from the Diamond League gala in Rome, immediately stating that she hadn't retired.

Not yet, at least.

– Last year, I lost some of the spark in competitions. I've faced so many setbacks, and it wasn't as fun anymore, she says, searching for words.

– Which also felt like a shock because I've always found it very enjoyable. But I tried being a pacemaker and liked it. I could still be part of competitions and enjoy it without it feeling entirely negative.

She ended last season by acting as a pacemaker in ten races and has done so in two more races this season.

– I'm set on this being my last summer as an active athlete, and I want to do what I enjoy. I want to run a few races and try to have a dignified end to my career.

One of those races, which will be among the last in Lindh's career, was the 1500-meter race at the Bauhaus Gala. Lindh had to withdraw after a collision but has a few other races planned later this summer.

Lindh on the Future: "I'm Getting Old"

How did you come to decide this is your last summer?

– I've probably thought about it for a couple of years. I'm getting old, Lindh says with a laugh.

– I could probably continue for another year, and I love going to training camps with my group, but competitively... just look at the results. I haven't run well for several years. It's not as fun anymore when you keep getting disappointed.

What will you do instead?

– I have so many plans and different threads out there. I don't know exactly, and right now, I'm trying to be in the moment and focus on this competitive summer, and we'll see what happens next.

There might be more appearances on SVT, at least if Lindh has her way.

– We haven't had much time to talk about it, but I found it so fun, and I hope they're happy with me. So we'll see.