HALL OF FAME - Magnus Wislander

Born: 22 February 1964
Birthplace: Göteborg (Sweden)
Nationality: Sweden
Sport: Handball

ATTENDANCE AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
Seoul 1988
Barcelona 1992
Atlanta 1996
Sydney 2000

AWARDS
Olympic medals:
Silver: 3

World Championships
Gold: 2 (90, 99)
Silver: 2 (97, 01)
Bronze: 2 (93, 95)

The Hose
Nicknamed "The Hose" because of his ability to slither through the defense, Magnus Wislander was voted World Handball Player of the Century in 1999. He first played for the Swedish national team on 16 January 1985 and continued to represent his nation through 2004. During this 19-year period he has played more than 380 international matches while averaging three goals a game. Wislander led Sweden to world championships in 1990 and 1999 and European championships in 1994, 1998, 2000 and 2002. He competed in four Olympics, beginning in 1988 when Sweden placed fifth. At the 1992 Barcelona Games, Sweden made it to the final undefeated, but then lost to the Unified Team (ex USSR) 22-20. Four years later, Sweden again qualified for the final without a loss and again lost in the final, this time to Croatia 27-26. At the 2000 Olympics, Wislander and his teammates won all of their preliminary matches once more, only to lose again in the final, 28-26 to Russia. During Wislander's four-Olympic career, Sweden won 23 matches and lost only 5. As a professional, Wislander played for Redbergslid Göteborg in Sweden before joining THW Kiel in Germany in 1990.