William Petersson
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Reinhold William Eugen•Petersson (-Björneman) |
| Used name | William•Petersson |
| Born | 6 October 1895 in Sandby, Mörbylånga, Kalmar (SWE) |
| Died | 10 May 1965 in Kalmar, Kalmar (SWE) |
| Measurements | 184 cm / 78 kg |
| Affiliations | Kalmar IS, Kalmar (SWE) |
| NOC |  Sweden |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 1 |
| Silver | 0 |
| Bronze | 1 |
| Total | 2 |
Biography
William Petersson later changed his name to Björneman and was a long-time official with the IAAF. At Antwerpen in 1920 he won the long jump, the first non-American to win that event, and the only one until 1964. Petersson was a four-time Swedish champion in the long jump (1918-20, 1924) and was the Swedish record holder from 1918-27. During this period he improved the record several times, moving it from 7.20 to 7.39. Like many long jumpers he was also an excellent sprinter, winning a bronze medal with the Swedish team in the 4x100 m relay.
Personal Bests: 100 – 11.0 (1918); LJ – 7.39 (1924).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 Summer Olympics | Athletics | SWE |
William Petersson | |||
| 4 × 100 metres Relay, Men (Olympic) | Sweden | 3 | Bronze | |||
| Long Jump, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold |