Niklas Arrhenius

Niklas Bo Arrhenius (born September 10, 1982) is an American-Swedish track and field athlete who competes and coaches in the discus throw and shot put. He represented Sweden in the discus at 2008 Summer Olympics, was a four-time competitor at the World Athletics Championships (2007, 2011, 2013, and 2017), and competed at five consecutive editions of the European Athletics Championships from 2006 to 2016. At the Swedish Athletics Championships he won seven national titles in discus, and was an eight-time champion in the shot put (combined indoors and outdoors).

Early years / dual citizenship In 1982, Arrhenius was born in Provo, Utah, U.S.A., but has dual citizenship.

High school years In 2001, while competing for Mountain View High School Bruins Earlier that season, in 2001, he had broken the Utah state record with a throw of 218 feet, 2 inches.

Arrhenius also played for the Bruins' football team, until he suffered a knee injury, after which his father would not sign the parental permission forms for him nor his younger brother to play football.

Junior Championships In 2000, Arrhenius earned a silver medal at the World Junior Championships. In August 2001, he then won first place at the Swedish Junior (U20) Championships, and he finished second place in the discus event at the Swedish Open Championships.

University years In 2007, while attending BYU, Arrhenius earned the national championship in the discus throw.

European Athletics Championships In 2008, Arrhenius was the top-ranked discus thrower in European meets; while on Team Sweden.

World Athletic Championships On June 28, 2013, Arrhenius qualified for the World Championships this was his fourth appearance at the World Championships having also participated in 2007, 2009 and 2011 and 2013. Since then, he has participated in one more, a fifth, World Championship, in 2017. To see his results, go to the Competition record section below.

Coaching career Nik Arrhenius has again followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a throws coach (more generically, assistant track coach ) for the BYU Cougars men's and women's track and field teams (his father, Anders Arrhenius, has been a volunteer throws coach at BYU

Family of athletes and missionaries Great-grandfather The great-grandfather of Nik Arrhenius, Bror Aron Axel Arrhenius, started this Legacy, when he took the family name Arrhenius on December 5, 1901. He was conducting the Olympic choir at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm and he participated on the Swedish tug of war team that won gold medal. It was an exhibition sport for all of the musicians that participated from different countries.

In another account, Borr Arrhenius, was the anchor of Team Sweden’s tug-of-war team at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm.

Here is an external link to a 43-second video of the 1912 Tug of War competition:

Father, Anders Hilding Arrhenius Anders Arrhenius, was born in Sweden in 1947. Then, in 1975, he threw for BYU and received All-American honors. Anders also went on to qualify for Sweden in the 1976 Summer Olympics, but injury prevented him from participating in those Olympics. Because Anders did qualify for the Olympics, he is considered "An Olympian".

Mother, Kristine (née Fowler) Arrhenius In the early 1970s, Kristine Fowler, who is from Rose Park, Salt Lake City, went to Stockholm, Sweden, on a church mission, where she first met Anders Arrhenius.

Older brother, Dr. Daniel Anders Arrhenius, PDM Like Nik, Dan Arrhenuis was born in Provo, but in 1978, and went to Mountain View High School, where he earned all kinds of awards, honors and championships in the discus and shot put, just like Nik. Dan also did very well at BYU adding the hammer throw to the list of events, just like Nik. Dan also went on a church mission to Stockholm, Sweden, just like his mother and younger brothers, Nik and Leif.

Younger brother, Leif Hilding Arrhenius Like Nik, Leif Arrhenius was born in Provo, Utah, but in 1986, and went to Mountain View High School, where he earned all kinds of awards, honors and championships in the discus and shot put, just like Nik and Dan.

Personal life Arrhenius is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a church missionary in the Sweden Stockholm Mission. Nik achieved the rank of Eagle Scout when he was in the Boy Scouts of America as a teenager.

Competition record

National titles Swedish Athletics Championships Shot put: 2009, 2010, 2011 Discus throw: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Swedish Indoor Athletics Championships Shot put: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships Discus throw: 2007

Personal bests Discus throw: 66.46 m (2020) Shot put: 19.75 m (2010) Shot put indoor: 19.91 m (2004)