Jimmy Nilsen

Jimmy Nilsen

Born	(1966-11-16) 16 November 1966 Sweden
Nationality	Sweden
Current club information
Career status	Retired
Career history
Great Britain
1985–1990, 1992, 1996–1998	Swindon Robins
1991	Berwick Bandits
1993–1994	Bradford Dukes
1995, 2000	Oxford Cheetahs
1999, 2001	Belle Vue Aces
Poland
1991–1992	ZKŻ Zielona Góra
1994, 1996	Polonia Piła
1995	GKM Grudziądz
1997–1999	Start Gniezno
2000	WTS Wrocław
Individual honours
1984	Swedish Under-21 Champion
1990	Jack Young Memorial Cup winner
1996	Swedish Champion
1996	Swedish Final winner
1996	Scandinavian Final winner
1996	Intercontinental Champion
Team honours
1991	Polish Team Championship
1991	Inter-Nations Championship
1993	British League Knockout Cup

Jimmy Nilsen (born 16 November 1966) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden.^[1]

Career

Jimmy Nilsen was Swedish Champion in 1996 after finishing 3rd in 1994. Nilsen also rode in five World Finals as well as representing Sweden in Test Matches, World Pairs (best finish 2nd in 1989 with Per Jonsson) and World Team Cup (finishing 2nd in 1991, 1992 and 1998). He also helped Sweden to 3rd place in the 2001 World Cup Final in Wrocław, Poland.^[2]

After finishing second to Per Jonsson at the 1985 European (World) Under-21 Championship Final in Abensberg, West Germany, Nilsen impressed when as a 19-year he finished what would be a career best 4th in the 1986 World Final (his first World Final appearance) at the Silesian Stadium in Katowice, Poland, a placing he would repeat in the 2 day 1987 World Final at the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium in the Netherlands. He would appear in another three World Finals, finishing 5th in 1990 in Bradford, England (won by Jonsson), 5th in 1991 at Ullevi in Göteborg, and 7th in 1992 at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, Poland.

Nilsen later qualified for the Speedway Grand Prix in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, finishing a career best 2nd in 1998 behind countryman Tony Rickardsson.

In 1990 after appearing in a "Rest of the World" team in a test against Australia at the North Arm Speedway in Adelaide, South Australia, Nilsen won the inaugural running of the Jack Young Memorial Cup named in honour of the Adelaide rider who had won the World Final in 1951 and 1952. A year later he returned to Australia as part of the touring Swedish team that defeated Australia 3-2 in a 5 match test series.

World Final Appearances

Individual World Championship

• 1986 - Chorzów, Silesian Stadium - 4th - 11pts
• 1987 - Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium - 4th - 22pts
• 1990 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 5th - 10pts
• 1991 - Göteborg, Ullevi - 5th - 10pts
• 1992 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium - 7th - 7pts

World Pairs Championship

• 1988 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Per Jonsson) - 5th - 29pts (17)
• 1989 - Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Per Jonsson) - 2nd - 44pts (23)
• 1990 - Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Per Jonsson) - 4th - 33pts (17)
• 1991 - Poznań, Olimpia Poznań Stadium (with Henrik Gustafsson / Per Jonsson) - 2nd - 24pts (8)

World Team Cup

• 1985 - Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium - 4th - 10pts (2)
• 1986 - Göteborg, Ullevi, Vojens, Speedway Center and Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 4th - 73pts (16)
• 1988 - Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium - 3rd - 22pts (5)
• 1989 - Bradford, Odsal Stadium - 3rd - 30pts (0)
• 1991 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 2nd - 30pts (7)
• 1992 - Kumla, Kumla Speedway - 2nd - 33pts (1)
• 1997 - Piła, Stadion Żużlowy Centrum - 3rd - 21pts (3)
• 1998 - Vojens, Speedway Center - 2nd - 24pts (13)

World Cup

• 2001 - Wrocław, Olympic Stadium - 3rd - 51pts (7)

Individual Under-21 World Championship

• 1985 - Abensberg, Motorstadion - 2nd - 13pts

Speedway Grand Prix results

References