S'porean-Swedish sprinter Hugo Kjellander breaks national 200m indoor record

When Hugo Kjellander's footballing pursuits hit a snag in 2020, the budding young player turned to the track.

Then only 12, he was playing for a club in Sweden but, after losing many players, they were unable to compete in the local football leagues.

It was around the same time that Hugo, who has Singaporean and Swedish citizenship, discovered his passion for athletics after taking part in an inter-school competition.

What started as a fun challenge for Hugo and his classmates turned out to be the catalyst for the next chapter of his sporting journey.

At the meet, which involved close to 100 runners from schools in the Swedish city Malmo, he competed in the 60m sprint, clocking the second-fastest time in the preliminary race and finishing fourth in the final.

Five years later, his decision to switch to the track paid off as on Feb 15, the 17-year-old rewrote the Singapore 200m indoor national record with a 22.19-second effort at the Bannister Winter Classic in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The previous mark of 22.60sec was set by Zubin Muncherji in 2018.

His timing placed him first in the B final ahead of Rafael Tejada de Leon, who clocked 22.53sec.

Talking about his transition from football to running, he said: "I was more interested to give track a chance rather than finding a new club to play football for. I have never regretted that decision.

"Despite starting track training relatively late, I have made huge improvements year on year and have had the privilege to train with very experienced coaches."

Hugo, who studies at the Malmo Idrottsgymnasium, has been working with David Vendel, the coach of some of Sweden's top 200m and 400m sprinters, since he started the Swedish equivalent of junior college in 2024.

Specialising in the 400m – his personal best is 49.69sec indoors – Hugo also competes in the 60m, 100m and 200m events.

Born in Germany to a Swedish father and Singaporean mother, Hugo spent three years of his childhood in Singapore, before relocating to Denmark and then Sweden, where he has been based since 2012.

He started playing football when he was about six or seven, preferring to play on the left wing.

Hugo was often the fastest player on the field and harboured dreams of being a professional footballer.

But his ambitions have shifted to the track as he aims for a medal in the 60m and a 400m gold at the Swedish Under-18 Indoor Championships on March 1 and 2.

He said: "I like that (running) is very measurable and that you get direct feedback if you have trained well in the form of faster times.

"Also I have made a lot of new friends from all over Sweden through the sport, including my girlfriend who also is a sprinter."

In the longer term, he is looking to study and compete in the collegiate system in the United States and hopes to make it to the Olympics one day.

But a tough decision awaits, with national service looming for the 17-year-old.

He said: "Formally I have never been called up for the national team of either country yet, so for now I represent myself and my club and will make a decision if and when it becomes a reality to compete for the national team.

"I am aware that I need to do my national service soon, and wonder how I will be supported to pursue my track and field career while serving."

While Hugo has spent most of his life in Europe, he remains connected to Singapore, making regular visits and staying in touch with his relatives.

He said: "I really enjoy the food – that is one thing Europe cannot compete with and also spending time with my extended family.

"I do have a lot of fond memories of Singapore from my visits back over the years."

Hugo was not the only Singaporean runner to clock a record time on Feb 15. Distance runner Ethan Yan bettered his own indoor 3,000m record of 9min 10.38sec set in 2023 with a 9:00.77 at the Samford Bulldog Open meet in Alabama.

The 24-year-old also holds the national record for the indoor mile (4:27.13), also set in 2023.

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