December is the time when the gold medal is awarded, Jerring Prize winners are discussed and annual best lists are made. Several magazines name the best athletes of the year.
In Örebro, Nerikes Allehanda has since 1935 awarded a prize for “the year’s foremost and most popular sports achievement in Örebro County”: the Golden Clock.
Among the prize winners are legends such as Agneta Andersson (canoe), Orvar Bergmark (football and bandy), Bengt-Åke Gustafsson (hockey), as well as former Formula 1 driver Marcus Ericsson.
But not Ronnie Peterson, who had rock star status in the 70’s along with names like Niki Lauda and James Hunt.
– Even today it feels very strange, and a little sad actually, says Hans Jonson, former sports director at Nerikes Allehanda and in the center of events that December day 50 years ago.
– “It was a long conversation, he has never been so happy and pleasant to talk to,” says Hans Jonson about the victory interview that had to be thrown.
Photo: Jan Collsiöö / TT
The choice of the newspaper’s gold watch winner was considered be unusually simple 1971.
Ronnie Peterson had come second in the Formula 1 World Championship after the superb Jackie Stewart and reached the podium five times. The 27-year-old Swede also won European Championship gold in Formula 2.
Hans Jonson talks about the day of the jury meeting:
– Before the meeting in the evening, we were completely convinced that Ronnie would get the watch, as a world star and World Cup runner-up in such a great sport. Ronnie was in Argentina and due to the time difference we needed to prepare for an interview. I caught up with him in Buenos Aires a few hours before the jury meeting and told him that as far as I understand, you will get the gold watch. It was a long conversation, he has never been so happy and nice to talk to, normally he was not the most open person.
– I wrote the interview and we finished a full page in the newspaper before I left for the meeting.
I already knew then that this would be a fucking life.
But the meeting took an unexpected turn turn. The match was between Ronnie Peterson and Rolf Nilsson, who during the year won World Cup gold in military pentathlon.
Voting ended 5-5. Then the chairman had to use his casting vote and it fell on Rolf Nilsson.
– We were three journalists from Nerikes Allehanda who all voted for Ronnie. But in the jury there were also seven people from different sports, six men and one woman, and the choice ultimately fell on Nilsson. Their motivation was that Ronnie had only come second while Rolf Nilsson won World Cup gold. I laugh at it when I think about it now. They probably did not think that Formula 1 was a real sport.
– Rolf was an athlete, really. A very good athlete. But he was unknown even in Örebro, and it is clear that the performances can not be compared, it is a very small sport, says Hans Jonson.
– The others in the jury went to the Masonic Lodge and ate a three-course dinner, I myself had to return to the editorial office with the message that everything must be torn up. Of course I had to call Rolf Nilsson for an interview. But even then I suspected that this would be a fucking life for them.
It was never so easy to interview Ronnie and after this it was difficult to get interviews with him.
Hans Jonson was beaten that Ronnie Peterson sounded so happy when he got a hint that he would probably get the award.
– I was surprised that it meant so much that he would receive our award. It is probably the case that even if you are a world star, it is important to be recognized at home as well.
The reactions were not long in coming.
– It was never so easy to interview Ronnie and after this it was difficult to get interviews with him at all. The next day, Ronnie’s father called Bengt and canceled the newspaper. The big motoring magazines declared us idiots.
“What has Ronnie done to hurt his own hometown?” wondered an evening paper.
– Obstacle swimming is one of the branches of military pentathlon. Here is a picture from SM 2018.
Photo: Simon Hastegård / Bildbyrån
Rolf Nilsson had the same year won the World Cup in military pentathlon, which was decided in Örebro.
Military pentathlon was created as a variant of modern pentathlon, without riding. The disciplines are shooting, obstacle running, obstacle swimming, throwing with a hand grenade and cross-country running. Rolf Nilsson, who is now deceased, is one of many successful Swedes in the sport.
– Some of the jury members probably thought it was more of a real sport than Formula 1, says Hans Jonson.
– But you should also remember that Formula 1 was a controversial and questionable sport at the time. Safety was not at all like in today’s cars, but they drove around in pure death traps. So it may also have been Ronnie in the dish.
– King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia and Ronnie Peterson at Anderstorp 1978.
Photo: Expressen
Ronnie Peterson continued to harvest successes in the Formula 1 circus in the next few years. He finished third in the 1973 World Cup and stayed at the top until 1978 when the tragic crash on the Monza track in Italy cost him his life. That year he became World Cup runner-up posthumously.
The sports journalists continued to fight for Peterson at the jury meetings, but without a hearing.
In 1973, NA’s prize went to Rolf Pettersson, Swedish champion in orienteering, and in 1974 to rally world champion Stig Blomqvist. In 1976, Pettersson became world champion in relay and received the prize again.
There was never any recognition from the home newspaper for Ronnie Peterson, who is buried in Almby cemetery in Örebro. A few kilometers away there is a statue of him.
– Shame may be a harsh word. But it is sad that Ronnie did not receive the award at any time, says Hans Jonson.