Sweden’s U17 women’s national team are world champions. The team delivered their best performance of the tournament in the final, securing the gold medal in front of a large crowd at Serwenthallen in Uppsala.
The final against Finland ended 4–0 (2–0), with Sweden showing both technical quality and mental strength in decisive moments.
– What a journey we’ve made throughout this championship. We’ve levelled up from game to game, and today we play our best match of the entire tournament, says head coach Linnéa Thored Bergkvist.
– We made some adjustments in the third game of the tournament that we’ve continued to build on and believe in. We trust the girls and know what they’re capable of. We haven’t quite reached that level before, but today we do. And the key message has been patience – we are better when we play 2×45, and I think we show that today.
A challenging path through the tournament
Sweden faced a tough journey through the tournament, with performances varying and margins at times very small. Ahead of the playoffs, the team was forced into a decisive match to secure a place in the final.
In the final, Sweden took clearer control and showed greater structure and sharpness when it mattered most.
– It’s pure joy! I’m so proud to be the captain of this team. I’m just so happy. We felt we needed to step up from our first game, and we’ve just kept improving. We went all in today and let everything out, says team captain Tea Forsberg.
The gold medal is the result of a long-term commitment to the development of Swedish youth bandy, where both grassroots and elite levels work together. The championship in Uppsala, where three youth categories have been decided in parallel, has brought together some of the world’s top young players and further strengthened the international competitiveness of bandy.
Final result – U17 Women
Sweden – Finland
4–0 (2–0)
Goalscorers
36′ Alice Håkansson
39′ Wilma Palmborg
72′ Nova Engblom
89′ Ebba Lind
Photo: Gert Holmér