Jimmy Nilsen
{{Short description|Swedish speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| image =Jimmy_Nilsen.jpg
| name = Jimmy Nilsen
| nationality = Swedish
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1966|11|16}}
| birth_place = Sweden
| career1 = Sweden
| years2 = 1982–1995
| career2 = Getingarna/Stockholm United
| years3 = 1996
| career3 = Rospiggarna
| career4 = Great Britain
| years5 = 1985–1990, 1992, 1996–1998
| career5 = Swindon Robins
| years6 = 1991
| career6 = Berwick Bandits
| years7 = 1993–1994
| career7 = Bradford Dukes
| years8 = 1995, 2000
| career8 = Oxford Cheetahs
| years9 = 1999, 2001
| career9 = Belle Vue Aces
| career10 = Poland
| years11 = 1991–1992
| career11 = ZKŻ Zielona Góra
| years12 = 1994, 1996
| career12 = Polonia Piła
| years13 = 1995
| career13 = GKM Grudziądz
| years14 = 1997–1999
| career14 = Start Gniezno
| years15 = 2000
| career15 = WTS Wrocław
| indivyear1 = 1998
| indivhonour1 = World individual championship runner-up
| indivyear2 = 1996
| indivhonour2 = Swedish champion
| indivyear3 = 1996
| indivhonour3 = Intercontinental Champion
| indivyear4 = 1996
| indivhonour4 = Nordic Champion
| indivyear5 = 1984
| indivhonour5 = Swedish U21 champion
| indivyear6 = 1990
| indivhonour6 = Jack Young Memorial Cup winner
| teamhonour1 = Elitserien Champion
| teamyear1 = 1982, 1983, 1985, 1989
| teamyear2 = 1991
| teamhonour2 = Polish Team Championship
| teamyear3 = 1991
| teamhonour3 = Inter-Nations Championship
| teamyear4 = 1993
| teamhonour4 = British League Knockout Cup
|caption=A portrait of Jimmy Nilsen}}
Jimmy Oyvind Nilsen (born 16 November 1966) is a former international motorcycle speedway rider from Sweden.[http://www.internationalspeedway.co.uk/denvswe.htm International Speedway: Denmark v Sweden], accessed 2010-07-10 He earned 53 international caps for the Sweden national speedway team.{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=Ultimate Rider Index, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=27 May 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://wwosbackup.proboards.com/thread/2055/jimmy-nilsen |title=Jimmy Nilsen |website=WWOS backup |access-date=27 May 2024}}
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.{{cite news |title=Rain is a welcome relief for Racers |work=Reading Evening Post |date=16 July 1985 |access-date=9 March 2024|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002471/19850716/127/0013 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} It was in 1985 that he started racing in the British leagues after signing for Swindon Robins for the 1985 British League season.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004974/19850713/035/0035 |title=Nilsen granted work permit |website=Western Daily Press |date=13 July 1985 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 September 2024}}
Nilsen impressed when as a 19-year he finished 4th 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.{{cite news |title=Hans roars to world triumph |work=Sandwell Evening Mail |date=7 September 1987 |access-date=10 July 2021 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002487/19870907/392/0027| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}
In 1988, he 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{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000769/19890807/024/0024 |title=Tatum targets Munich |website=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=7 August 1989 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 September 2024}} and a bronze medal at the 1989 Speedway World Team Cup.
Nilsen finished 5th 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0004974/19910118/035/0035 |title=Nilsen loan move |website=Western Daily Press |date=18 January 1991 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=7 September 2024}}
Nilsen finished 5th 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 7th in the 1992 Individual Speedway World Championship at the Olympic Stadium in Wrocław, Poland.
Nilsen was Swedish Champion in 1996.[http://www.speedway.org/history/1996.htm Speedway.org: 1996], accessed 2010-07-10 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.
World Final Appearances
= Individual World Championship =
- 1986 – {{Flagicon|POL}} Chorzów, Silesian Stadium – 4th – 11pts
- 1987 – {{Flagicon|NED}} Amsterdam, Olympic Stadium – 4th – 22pts
- 1990 – {{Flagicon|ENG}} Bradford, Odsal Stadium – 5th – 10pts
- 1991 – {{Flagicon|SWE}} Gothenburg, Ullevi – 5th – 10pts
- 1992 – {{Flagicon|POL}} Wrocław, Olympic Stadium – 7th – 7pts
= World Pairs Championship =
- 1988 – {{Flagicon|ENG}} Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Per Jonsson) – 5th – 29pts (17)
- 1989 – {{flagicon|POL}} Leszno, Alfred Smoczyk Stadium (with Per Jonsson) – 2nd – 44pts (23)
- 1990 – {{flagicon|FRG}} Landshut, Ellermühle Stadium (with Per Jonsson) – 4th – 33pts (17)
- 1991 – {{flagicon|POL}} Poznań, Olimpia Poznań Stadium (with Henrik Gustafsson / Per Jonsson) – 2nd – 24pts (8)
= World Team Cup =
- 1985 – {{flagicon|USA}} Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Jan Andersson / Per Jonsson / Tommy Nilsson / Pierre Brannefors) – 4th – 10pts (2)
- 1986 – {{Flagicon|SWE}} Göteborg, Ullevi, {{Flagicon|DEN}} Vojens, Speedway Center and {{Flagicon|ENG}} Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Jan Andersson / Per Jonsson / Tommy Nilsson / Erik Stenlund / Tony Olsson) – 4th – 73pts (16)
- 1988 – {{flagicon|USA}} Long Beach, Veterans Memorial Stadium (with Conny Ivarsson / Henrik Gustafsson / Tony Olsson / Per Jonsson) – 3rd – 22pts (5)
- 1989 – {{Flagicon|ENG}} Bradford, Odsal Stadium (with Mikael Blixt / Per Jonsson / Tony Olsson / Erik Stenlund) – 3rd – 30pts (0)
- 1991 – {{Flagicon|DEN}} Vojens, Speedway Center – 2nd – 30pts (7)
- 1992 – {{Flagicon|SWE}} Kumla, Kumla Speedway – 2nd – 33pts (1)
- 1997 – {{Flagicon|POL}} Piła, Stadion Żużlowy Centrum – 3rd – 21pts (3)
- 1998 – {{Flagicon|DEN}} Vojens, Speedway Center – 2nd – 24pts (13)
= World Cup =
- 2001 – {{Flagicon|POL}} Wrocław, Olympic Stadium – 3rd – 51pts (7)
= Individual Under-21 World Championship =
- 1985 – {{flagicon|FRG}} Abensberg, Motorstadion – 2nd – 13pts
Speedway Grand Prix results
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| Year
! Position ! Points ! Best Finish ! Notes |
|---|
| 1997
| align="center"| 8th | align="center"| 71 | 3rd | Third in British Grand Prix |
| 1998
| align="center" style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd | align="center"| 99 | 2nd | Second in German and British Grand Prix |
| 1999
| align="center"| 4th | align="center"| 73 | 2nd | Second in Swedish and Polish Grand Prix |
| 2000
| align="center"| 11th | align="center"| 42 | 5th | |
| 2001
| align="center"| 21st | align="center"| 20 | 7th | |