# Oskar Edlund

Oskar Edlund (born 16 November 2002) is a Swedish hurdler specializing in the 400 metres hurdles. He was for a moment the gold medalist at the 2021 World U20 Championships, but he was later disqualified due to a protest.

## Career

Though Edlund began competing in athletics in 2015, he did not debut in the 400 metres hurdles until 2019. After winning the Swedish U20 championships in the shorter 300 m hurdles, Edlund qualified to represent Sweden at the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival. At the festival, Edlund won the gold medal in the 400 m hurdles and a silver in the Swedish medley relay. Edlund finished his 2019 season by winning the Finnkampen U18 race in the 300 m hurdles. His time of 37.09 was a new championship record, despite knocking over a hurdle and leaping over the finish line in a manner described as similar to that of Charles Paddock.
Edlund won his first senior national title at the 2020 Swedish Athletics Championships in the 400 m hurdles. In doing so, he ran 50.15 seconds to beat Carl Bengtström in a "dramatic race", setting the Swedish U20 record by five hundredths of a second. He followed this up by winning the Finnkampen 4 × 400 m.
In 2021, Edlund didn't open his season until 3 July due to injuries. He competed at the European U20 Championships, and by virtue of his silver medal there he was able to represent Sweden at the 2021 World U20 Championships. Edlund advanced past the heats and semi-finals as the number five seed. In the finals, Edlund crossed the finish line first, initially appearing that he had surprisingly won the gold medal in a new Swedish U20 record of 49.20 seconds. However, he was later disqualified due to pulling his trail leg outside his lane while clearing a hurdle due to a protest from the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association. Sweden appealed the disqualification, claiming that the action did not impede any other runners, but they did not succeed.
In the fall of 2021, Edlund moved to the United States where he competed on the Texas Tech Red Raiders track and field team. As a sophomore, he qualified for the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but did not advance beyond the semi-finals. After a 7th-place finish at the 2023 BAUHAUS-galan, Edlund competed at his first European Athletics U23 Championships. In the 400 m hurdles final, he led the race at the third hurdle, but slowed down at the end. He attempted a new strategy of taking 13 steps to the 7th hurdle, which he had not ever done before. Nonetheless, he won the bronze medal, setting a new official personal best of 49.57 seconds.

## Personal life

Edlund is from Stockholm, Sweden, where he attended Östra Real secondary school.

## Statistics
### Personal best progression

400 m hurdles (84 cm) progression :
| # | Mark | Pl. | Competition | Venue | Date | Ref |
| 1 | 51.49 | | SAYO | Sollentuna, Sweden | 7 Jun 2019 | |
| 2 | 51.41 | | Athletics at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival | Baku, Azerbaijan | 25 Jul 2019 | |
400 m hurdles progression :
| # | Mark | Competition | Venue | Date |
| 1 | 50.90 | Täby Sommartävling | Täby, Sweden | 4 Aug 2020 |
| 2 | 50.15 | Swedish Athletics Championships | Uppsala, Sweden | 15 Aug 2020 |
| 3 | 49.94 | Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championships | Norman, OK | 13 May 2023 |
| 4 | 49.57 | European Athletics U23 Championships | Espoo, Finland | 15 Jul 2023 |