Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen
Born (1959-10-08) 8 October 1959 (age 65)
Esbjerg, Denmark
NationalityDanish
Career history
Denmark
1979–1989Esbjerg
Great Britain
1979–1989Cradley Heathens
Sweden
1987–1989Vargarna
Individual honours
1984, 1985, 1988World Speedway Champion
1984, 1986Long Track World Champion
1983, 1985British League Riders Speedway Champion
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989Danish Speedway Champion
1983, 1985, 1986Danish Under-21 Speedway Champion
1985, 1986Denmark Longtrack Champion
1985, 1986Golden Helmet of Pardubice
1986, 1987Intercontinental Speedway Champion
1987Nordic Speedway Champion
1981, 1982, 1986Danish Gold Bar
1981, 1982, 1983Midland Riders Champion
1982, 1986Golden Gala Italy
1986, 1987Golden Hammer
1983Blue Riband
1983Second City Trophy
Team honours
1981, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986,
1987, 1988
World Team Cup winner
1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989World Pairs Champion
1981, 1983British League Champion
1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986,
1987, 1988, 1989
British League KO Cup Winner
1982, 1984British League Cup
1980, 1983, 1984Midland Cup
Competition record
Representing  Denmark
Speedway World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1984
Gold medal – first place 1985
Gold medal – first place 1988
Silver medal – second place 1987
Speedway World Team Cup
Gold medal – first place 1981
Gold medal – first place 1983
Gold medal – first place 1984
Gold medal – first place 1985
Gold medal – first place 1986
Gold medal – first place 1987
Gold medal – first place 1988
Silver medal – second place 1979
Silver medal – second place 1982
Silver medal – second place 1989
Speedway World Pairs Championship
Gold medal – first place 1985
Gold medal – first place 1986
Gold medal – first place 1987
Gold medal – first place 1988
Gold medal – first place 1989
Silver medal – second place 1984
Bronze medal – third place 1982
Bronze medal – third place 1983
Intercontinental Championship
Gold medal – first place 1986
Gold medal – first place 1987
Silver medal – second place 1981
Silver medal – second place 1989
Bronze medal – third place 1988
Golden Helmet
Gold medal – first place 1985
Gold medal – first place 1986
Bronze medal – third place 1995
Long Track World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1984
Gold medal – first place 1986

Erik Gundersen (born 8 October 1959 in Esbjerg, Denmark)[1] is a former motorcycle speedway rider. Gundersen is one of the most successful speedway riders of all time, having won the Speedway World Champion on three occasions, the Long Track World Championship twice and the World Pairs Championship five times. He is also a seven-time World Team Cup winner with Denmark, and earned 91 international caps for the country.[2][3]

Gundersen won the World Pairs Championship a record five years in succession from 1985 to 1989, and won the World Team Cup a record six years in succession from 1983 to 1988. His 17 World Championship wins see him sit second for the most World Championships won behind fellow Dane and Gundersen's long time Danish teammate and rival Hans Nielsen.[4]

  1. ^ Oakes, P & Rising, P (1986). 1986 Speedway Yearbook. ISBN 0-948882-00-X
  2. ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 520. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
  3. ^ "FIM SPEEDWAY STARS OF THE CENTURY INTERVIEW, ERIK GUNDERSEN". FIM. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. ^ "ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 6 June 2023.