Linnea Gustafsson

Swedish orienteering star Linnea Gustafsson came to the University to study a Masters degree in 2012, having been crowned World Champion the year before. Selected onto the University’s Individual Performance Programme for elite athletes, she served as an inspirational influence to Edinburgh University Orienteering Club, further consolidating its position as the UK’s foremost centre of excellence for orienteering.

Linnea’s competitive record is outstanding. In her World Cup appearances, she has won two gold medals (in 2011) and two silver medals (in 2009 and 2011) in the sprint event, as well as being a three-time gold medal winner at the Swedish Championships.

In 2009 she claimed a silver medal in the sprint event at the World Championships, a bronze medal in the middle distance race at the World Games, and a gold medal in the Nordic Orienteering Championships. This remarkable run of success saw her nominated for the Orienteering Achievement of the Year Award.

At the 2011 World Championships, she attained the sport’s highest accolade by winning the World title in the sprint event.

She was awarded Gotland’s prestigious award for best sport performance of the year in 2011, and more recently she won gold in both the long and sprint events at the 2013 Oceania Orienteering Championships. While at Edinburgh, she helped EU Orienteering Club win the British Universities Championship with gold medal performances in the individual and team relay events.

Linnea is the first international student to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame. She now combines her undergraduate degree in physical therapy, post-graduate qualification in sports psychology, and elite athlete experience to support talented athletes in Sweden.