Othello news
Road to Helsinki – WOC 2026: Sweden
22 May 2026Written by WORLD OTHELLO FEDERATION
WOF continues its article series exploring how different countries qualify for the World Othello Championships in Helsinki (25–28 November 2026). Next up: our neighbours Sweden.
Fresh off a strong EOC
Sweden came into qualifying season with momentum. At the 5th European Othello Championship, held in Stockholm just last weekend, Sweden put on an impressive display in front of a home crowd, with players finishing 2nd and 4th out of 68 competitors from 15 countries — a strong reminder that Swedish Othello is very much a force to be reckoned with heading into Helsinki.
How Sweden qualifies
Sweden's WOC team consists of five players, selected based on their standings in the Swedish Grand Prix series (SGP), Swedish Championships (SM) and the Youth Championship:
Swedish Champion — The SM is played on the June 13-14 weekend, with the winner earning a direct spot on the team.
SGP #1 and #2 — After the SM, the top two in the points table claim the remaining open spots.
Best woman in the SGP — If the first three spots go to players of the same gender, the fourth place goes to the highest-ranked woman in the series.
Youth Champion — The Youth-SM will likely be held on September 5th, with the winner earning the youth spot on the team.
The contenders — who could be heading to Helsinki?
Oskar Eklund (rated #1 in Sweden, #4 in Europe, #67 in the World) is the clear favourite on paper. A four-time Swedish Champion (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018), SGP winner in 2016 and 2017, and Nordic Champion in 2017, Eklund has represented Sweden at WOC five times and reached 11th place in Prague 2018. Currently on 104 SGP points and fresh off a top-4 finish at the EOC, he is the player everyone else is measuring themselves against.
Niklas Wettergren (rated #2 in Sweden, #10 in Europe, #141 in the World) is Sweden's most decorated active player — a five-time Swedish Champion (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025) and an astonishing seven-time SGP champion. He has represented Sweden at WOC seven times, reaching 14th place in Cambridge 2015 and a top-20 finish in Tokyo 2019. At last weekend's EOC he finished 4th out of 68 players, adding further momentum heading into the SM. On 136 SGP points, Wettergren is never far from the top.
Christopher Andersson (rated #9 in Sweden) leads the SGP standings with 162 points and is arguably the story of the season so far. A veteran with tournament experience stretching back to 2002, Andersson has been steadily climbing the rankings in recent years. At last weekend's EOC he delivered his best international result in years, finishing a remarkable 2nd out of 68 players. If he holds on to the SGP lead, he would be heading to his first ever WOC — a fitting reward for years of patient, consistent play.
Kim Freiburghaus (rated #11 in Sweden, #62 in Europe) sits 4th on 92 SGP points. A regular at both domestic and international events, he has competed at WOC 2025 and multiple EOC editions.
The race is wide open
With the SM still to come, the SGP table is far from settled. And the SM is likely to bring in some serious wildcard energy: seasoned veterans like Göran Andersson — rated #4 in Sweden and #17 in Europe, with WOC appearances going back to 2000 and a 3rd place finish at EOC 2023 — and Nils Berner, who has been competing at the highest level since the early 1990s and represented Sweden at WOC as far back as 1991, are both expected to take part. When names like that show up to the table, no lead is safe. The SM in June will carry significant weight — not just for the champion's spot, but because SM results also serve as the tiebreaker if players are level on SGP points at the end of the season.
SGP standings: https://svenskothello.com/index.php/svenska-grand-prix-serien-2020/
Follow the SM live on 16th of June: https://flipthedisc.com/live/468