Oskar Edlund

Though Edlund began competing in athletics in 2015, he did not debut in the 400 metres hurdles until 2019.[1] After winning the Swedish U20 championships in the shorter 300 m hurdles, Edlund qualified to represent Sweden at the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival.[1] At the festival, Edlund won the gold medal in the 400 m hurdles and a silver in the Swedish medley relay.[3][4] 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.[5]

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.[3] He followed this up by winning the Finnkampen 4 × 400 m.[1]

In 2021, Edlund didn't open his season until 3 July due to injuries.[6] 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.[6] 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.[7] Sweden appealed the disqualification, claiming that the action did not impede any other runners, but they did not succeed.[8]

In the fall of 2021, Edlund moved to the United States where he competed on the Texas Tech Red Raiders track and field team.[7] As a sophomore, he qualified for the 2023 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, but did not advance beyond the semi-finals.[9] 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.[10]

Edlund is from Stockholm, Sweden, where he attended Östra Real secondary school.[2]

• Oskar Edlund at World Athletics