Jimmy Nilsen

Jimmy Oyvind Nilsen (born 16 November 1966) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden. He earned 53 international caps for the Sweden national speedway team.

Career Nilsen came to prominence in 1984, when he won the Swedish U21 championship and finished second to Per Jonsson at the 1985 European (World) Under-21 Championship final in Abensberg, West Germany. It was in 1985 that he started racing in the British leagues after signing for Swindon Robins for the 1985 British League season.

Nilsen impressed when as a 19-year he finished fourth in the 1986 World Final (his first World Final appearance) at the Silesian Stadium in Katowice, Poland. Nilsen topped the Swindon league averages in 1987 and finished fourth again at the 1987 World Final at the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium in the Netherlands.

In 1988, Nilsen won a bronze medal in the 1988 Speedway World Team Cup and reached the final of the 1988 Speedway World Pairs Championship final and the following season won a silver medal in the World Pairs with Per Jonsson in the 1989 Speedway World Pairs Championship and a bronze medal at the 1989 Speedway World Team Cup.

Nilsen finished fifth in the 1990 Individual Speedway World Championship in Bradford, England (won by Jonsson). Also in 1990 after appearing in a "Rest of the World" team in a test against Australia at the North Arm Speedway in Adelaide, Nilsen won the inaugural running of the Jack Young Memorial Cup, named in honour of Jack Young. At the end of the 1990 season and despite being named rider of the year, Nilsen left Swindon on loan to ride in the Berwick Bandits team for the 1991 season.

Nilsen finished fifth at the 1991 Individual Speedway World Championship final at Ullevi in Gothenburg and won silver medals in the 1991 Speedway World Pairs Championship, with Henrik Gustafsson and the 1991 Speedway World Team Cup. The following season in 1992, Nilsen won another silver medal at the 1992 Speedway World Team Cup and finished seventh in the 1992 Individual Speedway World Championship at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, Poland.

Nilsen was Swedish Champion in 1996. Nilsen later qualified for the Speedway Grand Prix in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, finishing a career best second in 1998 behind countryman Tony Rickardsson.

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 – Gothenburg, 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 (with Jan Andersson / Per Jonsson / Tommy Nilsson / Pierre Brannefors) – 4th – 10pts (2) 1986 – Göteborg, Ullevi, Vojens, Speedway Center and Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Jan Andersson / Per Jonsson / Tommy Nilsson / Erik Stenlund / Tony Olsson) – 4th – 73pts (16) 1988 – Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Conny Ivarsson / Henrik Gustafsson / Tony Olsson / Per Jonsson) – 3rd – 22pts (5) 1989 – Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Mikael Blixt / Per Jonsson / Tony Olsson / Erik Stenlund) – 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 Year Position Points Best Finish Notes 1997 8th 71 3rd Third in British Grand Prix 1998 2nd 99 2nd Second in German and British Grand Prix 1999 4th 73 2nd Second in Swedish and Polish Grand Prix 2000 11th 42 5th 2001 21st 20 7th