Fredrik Lindgren (speedway rider)

Fredrik Lindgren
Born (1985-09-15) 15 September 1985 (age 39)
Örebro, Sweden
NicknameFreddie
NationalitySwedish
Career history
Sweden
2004–2006Masarna
2008–2009, 2012–2013, 2017Dackarna
2011Valsarna
2002-2003, 2014–2016Indianerna
2018–2019Smederna
2021–2022, 2025Västervik
Great Britain
2003–2017Wolverhampton
2024Birmingham
Poland
2007–2010Zielona Góra
2011Tarnów
2012Wrocław
2013Leszno
2014Gdańsk
2015Daugavpils
2017Rybnik
2018–2022Częstochowa
2024Lublin
Speedway Grand Prix statistics
SGP Number66
Starts175
Finalist55 times
Winner7 times
Individual honours
2023World Championship silver
2018, 2020, 2024World Championship bronze
2010, 2016, 2017, 2024Elite League Riders' champion
2006Nordic champion
2018, 2021, 2023 2024Swedish champion
2003, 2004Swedish U21 champion
2004Nordic Under 21 champion
Team honours
2015World Cup Winner
2009, 2016British champions
2007, 2018, 2019Swedish champions
2009, 2023, 2024Polish champions

Jan Fredrik Tobias (Freddie) Lindgren (born 15 September 1985)[1] is a Swedish motorcycle speedway rider.[2] He has won the silver medal and the bronze medal twice at the Speedway World Championship, in addition to the world team championship in 2015.[3]

Career

Born in Örebro, Sweden. Lindgren's father Tommy Lindgren was a speedway rider before him, and his younger brother Ludvig also rides. Lindgren first appeared for Wolverhampton Wolves during the 2003 season as the team struggled with injuries. At the age of just 17, Freddie made his debut for the team and impressed enough to be brought back the following season when again injuries hit the club.

In 2005, he moved over to full-time and averaged 7.44 for Wolves in his debut full season and in 2006 he improved to average 8.12. In 2007 as Freddie started to show up more on the World scene, he averaged 8.35 again for Wolves.[4] Also in 2007, he was awarded a permanent wild card place for the 2008 Speedway Grand Prix series. During the 2008 season, Freddie was awarded with the Wolves captaincy role, previously held by fellow Swede Peter Karlsson and as a full-time Grand Prix rider he averaged 8.52 for Wolves. Due to his top 10 finish in the 2008 SGP, Lindgren was awarded a second successive permanent wild card place for the 2009 Speedway Grand Prix.

In 2010, he finished 11th on 87 points but qualified for the 2011 Series after beating Janusz Kolodiej and Magnus Zetterstrom in a run-off in the GP Challenge Final.[5]

2012

In 2009, Lindgren topped the averages in the UK with a 10.43 average and only dropped 7 points at home all season. Wolverhampton went on to win the Elite League title. 2010 saw him again back at Wolverhampton where his brother Ludvig also gained a place. Again he finished as the highest averaging rider in the Elite League and helped Wolves reach the title playoffs.

During the 2015 Speedway World Cup, he was part of the Swedish team that won the world team title. He had previously finished runner-up twice (2005 & 2006) and third three times. In 2016, Lindgren won the Elite League with Wolves and also won the Elite League Riders' Championship at the end of the season.[6][7][8] Lindgren's 2017 season for Wolves would be his last in the United Kingdom, bringing a 14 year spell to an end. He did however, win the Riders' Championship for the third time in 2017.[9][10]

In 2020, he finished third and won the bronze medal in the World Championship for the second time, the 2020 Speedway Grand Prix season saw him collect 117 points including winning the Gorzów Grand Prix.[11]

In 2021, he rode for Västervik Speedway but was later diagnosed with Long COVID and was forced to end his season early.[12] Despite the illness he managed to finish in fourth place during the 2021 Speedway Grand Prix.[13] In 2022, Lindgren finished in fourth place again in the 2022 Speedway World Championship, after securing 103 points during the 2022 Speedway Grand Prix.[14]

In May 2023, Lindgren won the Speedway Grand Prix of Poland as part of the 2023 Speedway Grand Prix and then secured his third Swedish Individual Speedway Championship title in June.[15] Later in 2023, he went on to claim his best career finish in a World Championship after winning the silver medal.[16]

In 2024, Lindgren returned to racing in Great Britain for the first time since 2017, when signing for the Birmingham Brummies in the SGB Premiership.[17] He also won his fourth Swedish Individual Speedway Championship title[18] and won his 7th career Grand Prix, when winning the Gorzów Grand Prix.[19] Also in 2024, he helped Sweden secure a bronze medal at the 2024 Speedway of Nations in Manchester.[20]

Continuing the success he secured the bronze medal in the 2024 World Championship before helping Lublin win the Ekstraliga during the 2024 Polish speedway season.[21]

Major results

World individual Championship

Grand Prix wins

World team Championships

See also

References

  1. ^ Oakes, P.(2006). Speedway Star Almanac. ISBN 0-9552376-1-0
  2. ^ Bamford, R.(2007). Speedway Yearbook 2007. ISBN 978-0-7524-4250-1
  3. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
  4. ^ "2008 Rider index" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  5. ^ "SGP Permanent wild cards announced". SpeedwayWorld. 23 October 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "LINDGREN WINS ELRC". Leicester Speedway. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  7. ^ Smee, Gary (2016) "Elite League Grand Final: Wolverhampton Wolves overcome Belle Vue to win title", BBC, 5 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016
  8. ^ "Results: Saturday October 8", speedwaygb.co, 8 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016
  9. ^ "Elite League Riders' Championship". WWOS Backup. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  10. ^ "SGB Premiership Riders' Individual Championship" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Grand Prix victory is a huge relief for Freddie Lindgren". Express and Star. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Long Covid hits Freddie". Speedway Star. 17 September 2022. p. 15.
  13. ^ "Freddie Lindgren struck down by long Covid". Shropshire Star. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  14. ^ "2022 Speedway Grand Prix results". FIM. Retrieved 4 October 2022.
  15. ^ "LINDGREN WINS SWEDISH TITLE NO.3". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  16. ^ "BARTOSZ ZMARZLIK WINS 2023 SGP CHAMPIONSHIP WITH VICTORY IN TORUN, FREDRIK LINDGREN FINISHES SECOND". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  17. ^ "Brummies swoop for Fast Freddie". British Speedway. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Lindgren seals title No.4 as Nilsson bags Malilla wild card". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  19. ^ "Lindgren loved the thrill of the chase in epic Gorzow victory". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
  20. ^ "Great Britain wins FIM Speedway of Nations World Title in Manchester Thriller". FIM Speedway. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  21. ^ "ORLEN Oil Motor Lublin - Betard Sparta Wrocław 52:38. Deklasacja w finale, Sparta wicemistrzem Polski". Gazeta Wrocławska. Retrieved 12 October 2024.