27 November 2025
Continued trust in the commitment to elite student athletes
The Swedish Sports Confederation has decided that Luleå University of Technology will continue to be recognised as a university friendly to elite athletes. The new period runs from 2026 to 2030. At present, there are around 50 students competing at elite level who are pursuing dual careers.
The Swedish Sports Confederation has decided that Luleå University of Technology will continue to be recognised as a university friendly to elite athletes. The new period runs from 2026 to 2030. At present, there are around 50 students competing at elite level who are pursuing dual careers.
– We are proud that Luleå University of Technology has once again been designated by the Swedish Sports Confederation as an elite athlete-friendly institution. It is an important acknowledgement that our long-term work to create sustainable conditions for athletes to combine studies and sport is of high quality, says Joakim Abrahamsson, Director of the elite athlete-friendly programme at Luleå University of Technology.
The opportunity to apply to an elite athlete-friendly university is aimed at those engaged in sport at such a level that various study adaptations are necessary in order to combine both commitments. In accordance with the Confederation’s guidelines, the sport must belong to one of its 72 national governing bodies. Currently, Luleå University of Technology has elite athletes in 14–15 different sports, including basketball, football, ice hockey, biathlon, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, handball, climbing, taekwondo and figure skating. They study either individual courses or different programmes.
– At its core, this is about giving young people the courage and opportunity to fully commit to both their education and their sport. We believe in long-term commitment, individual adaptation, and that success is born where sporting dreams and academic ambitions grow together, says Joakim Abrahamsson.
In addition to strengthening development environments within the system, the Swedish Sports Confederation also emphasises the need for long-term funding of dual careers, where currently the Confederation together with the universities bear the cost. The Confederation therefore intends to continue to pursue the issue of state funding in its budget proposal to the government.
Furthermore, Luleå University of Technology has a competence centre with a special focus aimed at creating unique development opportunities for elite athletes pursuing dual careers in alpine skiing, biathlon and cross-country skiing. In parallel, the university has also developed the Swedish Centre for Sports and Performance Technology, SPORTC.
Contact
Joakim Abrahamsson
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