Ove Fundin

Ove Fundin
Born (1933-05-23) 23 May 1933 (age 91)
Tranås, Sweden
NicknameThe Fox or The Flying Fox
NationalitySwedish
Career history
Sweden
1951-1957Filbyterna
1958-1971Kaparna
Great Britain
1955-1964Norwich Stars
1966Long Eaton Archers
1967Belle Vue Aces
1970Wembley Lions
Individual honours
1956, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1967World Champion
1956, 1957, 1960, 1962, 1964,
1966, 1967, 1969, 1970
Swedish Champion
1954Continental Champion
1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1965European Champion
1955, 1961, 1963, 1967Nordic Champion
1957Pride of the East winner
1960Southern Riders Champion
1963Pride of the Midlands winner
1960/61SA State Champion
1969WA State Champion
1967Golden Helmet of Pardubice
1961, 1962, 1963Internationale
1962The Laurels
Team honours
1960, 1962, 1963,
1964, 1967, 1970
World Team Cup
1968World Pairs Champion
1968, 1970Allsvenskan Champion
1955, 1963National Trophy
Competition record
Representing  Sweden
Speedway World Championship
Gold medal – first place 1956
Gold medal – first place 1960
Gold medal – first place 1961
Gold medal – first place 1963
Gold medal – first place 1967
Silver medal – second place 1957
Silver medal – second place 1958
Silver medal – second place 1959
Bronze medal – third place 1962
Bronze medal – third place 1964
Bronze medal – third place 1965
Speedway World Team Cup
Gold medal – first place 1960
Gold medal – first place 1962
Gold medal – first place 1963
Gold medal – first place 1964
Gold medal – first place 1967
Gold medal – first place 1970
Silver medal – second place 1961
Silver medal – second place 1965
Silver medal – second place 1968
Bronze medal – third place 1966
Speedway World Pairs Championship
Gold medal – first place 1968
Silver medal – second place 1969
Silver medal – second place 1970
Golden Helmet
Gold medal – first place 1967
Silver medal – second place 1968
Long Track World Championship
Silver medal – second place 1961

Ove Fundin (born 23 May 1933) is a Swedish former professional motorcycle speedway rider. He competed in the Speedway World Championships from 1951 to 1970. Fundin is notable for winning the Speedway World Championship Final five times (1956,[1] 1960, 1961, 1963, 1967), a record bettered only by Ivan Mauger and fellow Swede Tony Rickardsson who each won six World Championships.[2] He finished runner-up in the championship 3 times (1957–59) and was third in 1962, 1964 and 1965 meaning that from his first win in 1956 until his last in 1967, Fundin did not finish lower than a podium place in a record eleven World Finals.[3] He was known by the nickname of the "Flying Fox" or just "the Fox" because of his red hair. He earned 99 caps for the Sweden national speedway team.[4]

  1. ^ "Fundin is champ". Sunday Mirror. 23 September 1956. Retrieved 8 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ Montague, Trevor (2004). The A-Z of Sport. Little, Brown. p. 518. ISBN 0-316-72645-1.
  3. ^ Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2402-5
  4. ^ "Ultimate rider index, 1929-2022" (PDF). British Speedway. Retrieved 7 September 2024.