Idrottsgalan 2027: Andreas Almgren får undantag för New York-maraton – jury godkänner prestation efter deadline

Andreas Almgren won the New York Marathon on November 1 — one day after the October 31 cutoff for sports federations to nominate performances for Idrottsgalan, the Swedish Sports Gala held in January. The Idrottsakademien jury nonetheless decided at its Thursday-evening nomination meeting to count the victory, SVT Sport reported, citing multiple sources.

“The jury can make exceptions if the performance can be considered to have bearing in the near term,” jury chairman Lasse Granqvist told Expressen.

The Rule That Let November 1 Slip In

The academy’s regulations state that performances occurring after October 31 can exceptionally be included if they happen before the nomination meeting itself. Because the jury met Thursday evening, Almgren’s November 1 win fell inside that window, Aftonbladet reported. “It’s correct that Almgren’s victory will be counted,” several sources told SVT Sport.

What the Win Adds to Almgren’s Award Case

Almgren was already a leading contender for male athlete of the year at Idrottsgalan 2027, based on his world championship gold in the half marathon and European gold at 10,000 meters. With the New York win included, he can now add the marathon to that case, and his odds rise in the “performance of the year” category, where the New York victory is expected to earn a nomination, according to SVT Sport. He is also a favorite for Svenska Dagbladets Bragdguld, awarded in early December.

A 6:01 Finish Over the Last 2,195 Meters

Almgren closed the marathon by running the final 2,195 meters in 6 minutes 01 seconds — the second-fastest closing stretch ever recorded in a marathon, behind only Sebastian Sawe’s 5:51 when he won the London Marathon earlier this year in 1:59:30, Expressen reported. Almgren said afterward that it was “a bit of a shame” he did not know about the mark beforehand, adding that he might have sprinted harder over the last 200 meters.

National team captain Kajsa Bergqvist watched the final kilometer from her sofa and cried. “Andreas was my dad’s big favorite, so it becomes extra emotional,” she told Expressen. Her late father, Gunnar Bergqvist, had long chaired Turebergs FK, Almgren’s club, and Bergqvist took over as national captain in June 2021, two weeks after his death. She said Almgren’s return from a meniscus operation that cost him the Tokyo Olympics felt unreal: “The fairy tale just continues.”

Questions Readers Ask About Almgren’s Gala Chances

Why does a November 1 win count when the deadline was October 31? The academy’s rules allow the jury to include performances after October 31 if they occur before the nomination meeting, which was held Thursday evening, SVT Sport and Aftonbladet reported.

Which awards can Almgren now win? He is a favorite for male athlete of the year at Idrottsgalan 2027, a nomination is expected for performance of the year, and he is also favored for Svenska Dagbladets Bragdguld in early December, according to SVT Sport and Aftonbladet.

The gala takes place in January, with the nomination meeting already held Thursday evening, per SVT Sport.

The strongest remaining detail is the one Bergqvist kept returning to: no one, not even Almgren, knows where his limit is — he ran the race to win and did so comfortably, with another level still in reserve, Expressen reported.