For the second time, Umeå is named Sweden's best sports city. During the award's ten-year history, the margin of victory has never been greater. More than half of the 50 jury members had Umeå as their number one, including Jacob Hurd, Helena Ekholm and Yvette Hermundstad. Jönköping is second in this year's ranking. 

“Umeå has a top, above all an incomparable elite breadth with great support and activity at all levels and associations in relation to the population. That is why Umeå is given Sweden's sports city 2020, ”Yvette Hermundstad justifies her choice.  

“Incredibly strong width on several fronts both in terms of women's and men's sports. Impressive for a, in this context, small town, ”says jury member Milad Akbarzadeh. 

Enormous width

Swedish Championship gold for Iksus ladies when the playoffs were missed, Allsvenskan advancement for Umeå IK, points record in the hockey Allsvenskan for Björklöven are some of the highlights of the year. But it is above all the breadth of a city with almost 130,000 inhabitants that impresses the jury. Umeå is also one of the country's strongest municipalities in terms of activity in sports associations.  

Umeå also has many individual athletes. Several skiers from the city deliver internationally, including the World Cup queen on roller skis Linn Sömskar. Beach volleyball talent David Åhman could be a future world star.  

“The breadth, manner and results shown by the city's athletes and teams in various sports arenas speak for themselves. Umeå's achievements are exactly what you can count on a true sports city delivering, ”says jury member Patrik Jihde.