21/08/2020
In 1951, Gustaf Håkansson signed up for an endurance race traversing virtually the entirety of Sweden, only for his submission to be rejected because of his age. It was determined that the 66-year-old had neither the strength nor the stamina to compete with the 50 other racers half his age. Nevertheless, having ridden 600 miles to get to the starting line, Gustaf was there on race day in the saddle of his roadster complete with mudguards, a headlamp (which is what eventually helped him emerge victorious) and panniers.
Due to the volume of racers, Gustaf crossed the starting line about 20 seconds after the race had started. He had donned a homemade bib with the number 0, probably to indicate to the officials he wasn't joking and that he was indeed expecting to be treated as a participant.
The truth is, Håkansson cheated. Well, he didn't actually cheat, seeing as he wasn't an official competitor, but he did neglect one rule the others were forced to follow.
After three days and only five hours' sleep, Gustaf was leading the field by more than 120 miles. At one point the police tried to persuade him to stop for a medical examination, but he only laughed – and pedalled on.
Eventually, with only 800 yards or so to go, "steel grandpa" (as he became known in the villages he'd passed through) came to an abrupt halt. But it wasn't sheer exhaustion that had stopped him – the old man's bicycle had suffered its first and only flat tyre.
Unperturbed, Gustaf dismounted and set towards the finish line where, with only a few yards to go, he remounted to cross the line at 2:15pm on July 7, 1951.
Despite the albeit unofficial victory, a subsequent audience with the king of Sweden and generally being showered in fame and honour, Gustaf's greatest satisfaction came from proving wrong the doctors who had thought he was better suited in a rocking chair than he was in a saddle.
The Steel Grandpa continued to ride bicycles until his death in 1987 at the age of 102.
Krish Sports Foundation recognizes and praises the efforts and determination of Gustaf Håkansson who proved himself against all odds.