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Sweden wins first gold medals in Beijing

Swedish athletes have finally won gold in Beijing as two of the country’s Paralympians achieved victory on Monday.

Sweden wins first gold medals in Beijing

Marksman Jonas Jacobsson took home Sweden’s first gold medal from Beijing in 2008 by amassing more than 700 points to win the Men’s 10m Air Rifle Standing Position, and shatter an eight-year-old world record in the process.

The win gave Jacobsson his 14th Paralympic gold, and marked an impressive streak of having one at least one gold medal at every Paralympics in which he’s competed since his first in 1980.

“I thought I’d need more than 700 points for gold. My result was actually the same that they had in the Olympics, which I think is pretty neat. It was about maintaining my focus on the right things after the qualifier, that was the hardest,” he told the Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper.

Later in the day, Jacobsson’s Paralympic teammate Anders Olsson provided Sweden with its second gold medal by winning the men’s 100 metre freestyle.

While he trailed at the turn to Yuan Tang from China, Olsson came back in the second half of the race to overcome his opponent.

“I’d set up a tactic that I’d stay a half length behind at the turn in order to then break free with 25 metres left, and it worked. The crowd’s support of the Chinese may have actually helped me more,” said Olsson to DN.

His winning time of 1:05.95 minutes broke Olsson’s own world record time of 1:06.08.

WEATHER

Danish beaches hit ‘swimming temperature’ earliest in a decade

Denmark on Monday registered its earliest official 'swimming day' in a decade with water temperatures at 88 different beaches in the country averaging over 19C.

Danish beaches hit 'swimming temperature' earliest in a decade
A lifeguard surveys swimmers at Blokhus beach in Jutland. Photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix
“The water is record warm, or at least we haven't registered a swimming day so earlier in the last decade, and the water is only going to get hotter over the coming days,” said Peter Tanev, a meteorologist with the TV2 broadcaster. 
 
Denmark is set to see temperatures of as much as 30C in the south of Jutland on Saturday as the whole of Europe is hit by a heatwave. 
 
With water temperatures tending to rise by half a degree a day during sunny periods, water temperatures could rise beyond 22C over the weekend. 
 
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“It has been an extremely sunny spring,” Tanev explained. “The sun's rays are the most important factor when it comes to warming up the water.” 
 
He said that the generally mild winter had also helped push temperatures at the country's bathing stops towards the near record. 
 
 
In 2017, the water at Denmark's beaches never averaged above 19C, and in 2018, swimmers had to wait until the end of June. But 2019 was another record year, with the first swimming day registered on June 23rd. 
 
 
 
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