Gunder Hägg
Acting
Biography
Gunder Hägg (31 December 1918 – 27 November 2004) was a Swedish runner and multiple world record breaker of the 1940s. He set over a dozen middle distance world records at events ranging from 1500 to 5000 meters, including three at both the 1500 meters and the mile, one at 3000 meters and one at 5000 meters.
Known For
In 2025 it will be 80 years since the end of World War II. What was it like to live in Sweden during the war? How were people affected by everything that happened so close to home? SVT has asked the Swedish people to send in their memories: letters, films, photographs and diaries and several thousand responses were received from all over the country.
Sverige och kriget
Using newsreel footage, this Sportscope entry chronicles the race toward running's four-minute mile, highlighting several important contests. It starts in the 1920's, when Finland's Paavo Nurmi set the record for the distance at 4 minutes 10.4 seconds. It continues through Roger Bannister's first run under 4 minutes in 1954, and ends in spring 1956, when Australia's Joe Bailey became the first to break 4 minutes on US soil.
Four Minute Fever
The film depicts how summer sports take shape in Sweden.