The feat in Budapest. Yes, what Daniel Ståhl accomplished at the WC in Budapest is the very image of a feat. Quite logically, it was announced on Tuesday that Spårvägen’s discus king will be awarded the Bragdguldet 2023. “It feels incredibly big,” says Daniel.
Two male discus throwers were in a class of their own in the 2023 season: The 24-year-old Slovenian Kristjan Ceh and the seven-year-old Daniel Ståhl. Ahead of the main goal of the season, the WC in Hungary, this summer it was 4-3 in head-to-head meetings in Ceh’s favor. Everything was set for a fierce duel, and on this warm evening in Budapest, reality came to surpass the poem.
In the fourth round, Daniel hit a stunning 69.37 to take over the lead from Ceh, who set the tone with a 69.27 in his second throw. In the last round, the Slovenian countered with 70.02 and many people inside the National Athletics Center thought that the battle for gold was over.
But, Daniel had other plans. In the very last throw of the competition, the Swede struck with 71.46, just 40 centimeters from the personal record – inside a windless stadium pot.
The World Cup gold was salvaged and the audience had just witnessed one of Swedish athletics’ greatest championship performances ever. A top physical recovery, a WC record and full delivery in a razor-sharp situation where the WC gold was just about to be snatched from Daniel’s hand.
The mental strength he displayed this night in Budapest is hard to describe in words but we remember it as the Feat of Budapest.
“Nerves of Steel”
On Tuesday, Svenska Dagbladet’s gold medal committee convened and an hour later the decision was announced: Daniel Ståhl was responsible for the greatest Swedish sporting feat in 2023 and will therefore be awarded the Gold Medal.
When the announcement was made, sports columnist Anders Lindblad read out the following justification:
“For a World Cup gold after a miraculous decision, with supreme control and nerves of steel.”
Daniel Ståhl will be the 20th athlete (!) to be awarded the feat gold, but previously only a thrower has received the award. In 1934, discus thrower Harald Andersson was awarded the medal after winning EC gold and the same year setting a world record in Oslo with 52.42.
The article is updated.
Here you can find more facts about previous achievement medalists in athletics.
Here on SvD’s website can be found more feat gold history in general.
2023-12-05 12:05:59
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