Photo: Christian Heyerdahl
A most valued and respected member of the Swaythling Club International, it is with great sadness the passing of Björne Mellström is announced.
Born on Friday 10th March 1933, Björne Mellström passed away on Sunday 4th February, just a few days short of his 91st birthday.
He won 16 gold medals at the Swedish Championships – five men’s team, five men’s singles, two men’s doubles and four mixed doubles.
The leading Swedish player of the 1950s was Tage Flisberg, men’s singles runner up at the 1954 World Championships.
In the men’s singles at the 1956 Swedish National Championships, Björne Mellström beat Flisberg in the semi-finals before repeating the feat in the 1957 and 1958 finals.
Notably, Björne Mellström competed in six consecutive World Championships (1954-1961).
Later at the 1967 World Championships in Stockholm, partnering Laima Balaishite (URS), to pair reached the last 16; they lost to Ebby and Diane Schöler.
At the European Championships, he won men’s team silver (1960, 1962), bronze (1958); he claimed men’s singles bronze on one occasion (1962).
At the Nordic Championships he won six titles – on two occasions he won the men’s team title and men’s doubles, on one occasion the men’s singles and once the mixed doubles.
In 1957 he won all four titles at the Nordic Championships – men’s team, men’s singles, men’s doubles, mixed doubles.
He represented Sweden 89 times in men’s team matches.