The Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg is one of international sport's great arenas, its iconic bowl shape recognisable around the world. Between 7-13 August 2006 it played host to a memorable European Athletics Championships - and three glorious gold medal-performances for the home nation as Carolina Klüft, Susanna Kallur and Christian Olsson triumphed for Sweden.
By the time of the championships, Klüft’s position among the finest multi-eventers of all-time was secure. She had won the Olympic title in Athens 2004, she was now a double world champion and she was here as the defending European champion after her victory in Munich in 2002 with 6542 points.
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Eunice Barber, of France, posed one of the biggest threats to her reign and she led after the opening event, the 100m hurdles, with 1108 after running 13.11 as Klüft came fifth in that heat with 13.35.
They both then achieved the best mark in the high jump, 1.89m, to show what a tight battle it was going to be until Barber sustained an injury and pulled out.
Klüft, 23, was just getting into her rhythm and she won the shot put with 14.56m before finishing third in the 200m in 23.86 to a 20-year-old rising star from Great Britain called Jessica Ennis.
Klüft began the second day with victory in the long jump (6.65m) and was fifth in the javelin with 46.94m where only a major setback would deny her gold. It was never going to happen and with her 800m time of 2:14.95 bringing 893 points, she retained the title with a championship record of 6740 points, winning by 317 from Karin Ruckstuhl, who broke the Dutch record. Back in eighth, with a personal best of 6287, was Ennis, impressively moving on the road to greater glory.
The Swedish crowd rocked the stadium as Klüft celebrated with the rest of her competitors and as she said: 'It was probably the biggest thing in my athletics career because it was in my country, near my family and my home.' It was the country’s first gold of the championships and three days later 100m hurdler Kallur doubled that success.
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A year earlier she had won the European indoor 60m title in Madrid and now she landed the outdoor crown with one of the best performances of her life.
Kallur, 25, led virtually from the start from lane four, pulling away after the second barrier. No-one could touch her as she won in 12.59 from Ireland's Derval O’Rourke (12.72) and Germany’s Kirsten Blom (12.72).
The next day, 12 August, Sweden had a third gold as long jump superstar and favourite Olsson, 26, lived up to all expectations.
Like Klüft, he was such a hero, as the 2004 Olympic champion, the 2003 world champion and the defending European champion.
Gothenburg was his home city - the perfect combination for a home crowd who were on their feet as he delivered as they hoped he would.
A heel injury had forced him to miss the defence of his world title the previous summer in Helsinki and he had returned to the sport only two months before the championships.
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It was a glorious return and even with only two legal jumps in the final, that was enough.
He opened with a 17.20m to lead and then in the next round leaped to 17.67m. Gold was sealed, even if his next four were fouls. Britain’s Nathan Douglas reached 17.21m in round four for silver, but only one man was ever going to win gold.
Sweden ended the championships in sixth in the medal table, as these three golds were supported by a silver from Johan Wissman in the 200m (20.38), and bronzes for high jumpers Stefan Holm (2.34m) and Kajsa Bergqvist (2.01m).
It was a week the country would long remember.
GOTHENBURG 2006
Heptathlon (7-8 August)
1. Carolina Kluft (SWE) 6740
2. Karin Ruckstuhl (NED) 6423
3. Lilli Schwarzkopf (GER) 6420
100m hurdles Final (11 August)
1. Susanna Kallur (SWE) 12.59
2. Derval O’Rourke (IRL) 12.72
3. Kirsten Bolm (GER) 12.72
Triple Jump Final (12 August)
1. Christian Olsson (SWE) 17.67m
2. Nathan Douglas (GBR) 17.21m
3. Marian Oprea (ROU) 17.18m