Two-time Swedish champion in the marathon, Daniel Woldu, has received Swedish citizenship and will now compete internationally for Sweden, writes friidrott.se.

And it will be the European Championship debut way back in a month.

– He’s Swedish champion so he is one of our strongest card, says coach Karin Tower Klint Sportbladet.

Daniel Woldu, 25, has established himself as one of the Swedish långlöpnings very best. As late as the Stockholm marathon this year, he took his second Swedish championship title at the distance. But despite that, he has not had to compete for Sweden in international championships as he waited to get his Swedish citizenship.

But now writes friidrott.se that Woldu, who competes for the tramway, with his Swedish citizenship on 1 July and now even the approval of the International Association of Athletics Federations, IAAF, to compete for Sweden in an international championship.

– Very funny! He’s been here a long time and has competed in many SM and wanted to become a Swedish citizen. Glad he gets the chance, says coach Karin Tower Klint.

And he gets a chance in the championship right away, because even though the union has already taken out a marathon squad for the new European Cup in conjunction with EM, there is a place for Daniel Woldu to get there.
six swedes

– What we have done is we have taken out five runners and a backup at home despite the fact that there are six places and now we will notify Daniel and start with six runners. It was important to give the other an early notice so they got the chance to prepare in the best way, says Towers Klint.

Woldu will, just as EM jump Meraf Bahta, originally from Eritrea.

The Swedish team that will set up in the European Cup in Zurich in connection with EM is besides Daniel Woldu also Mustafa Mohamed, Emil Lerdahl, David Nilsson, Fredrik Johansson and Patrik Engstrom.

By Erik Karlsson: