Hans Alsér

Hans Alsér
Mary Shannon and Hans Alsér in Utrecht, the Netherlands, 1963
Personal information
Full nameHans Edward Alsér
Nationality Sweden
Born(1942-01-23)23 January 1942
Borås
Died15 January 1977(1977-01-15) (aged 34)
Kälvesta
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Table tennis career
Playing styleShakehand, all-round attacker
Highest ranking3 (1970)[1]
Medal record
Men's table tennis
Representing  Sweden
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
World Championships 2 0 6
European Championships 8 5 1
Total 10 5 7
World Championships
1969 Munich Team
1967 Stockholm Doubles
1971 Nagoya Team
1967 Stockholm Team
1965 Ljubljana Team
1963 Prague Team
1961 Beijing Team
1959 Dortmund Doubles
European Championships
1970 Moscow Singles
1970 Moscow Team
1968 Lyon Team
1966 London Doubles
1966 London Team
1964 Malmö Team
1962 Berlin Singles
1962 Berlin Mixed doubles
1970 Moscow Doubles
1968 Lyon Doubles
1964 Malmö Doubles
1962 Berlin Team
1960 Zagreb Team
1968 Lyon Singles

Hans "Hasse" Alsér (23 January 1942 – 15 January 1977) was a Swedish international table tennis player and later the head coach of West German (1971–1974) and Swedish (1974–1977) national teams.[2] At the peak of his career, Alser was ranked 3rd in the World Ranking.[1]

Table tennis career

Hans Alsér was an international top level player. He was the European champion (singles) 1962 and 1970, world champion (doubles) 1967 and 1969,[3] and European champion (doubles) 1966.[4]

Hans Alsér was Swedish singles champion six times. During the years 1960–1971 he played in the Swedish singles championship final every year. The years when he did not become the Swedish singles champion he was second placed. In 1967 he also became Swedish mixed-double champion with Eva Johansson.

He also won an English Open title.

His playing style was more all-round than most other players in the 1960s. He could attack close to the table but also defend far from the table. He mastered top-spin, chopping, looping and all other types of play.

Stiga (manufacturer of table tennis tables, rackets, rubber and balls) made a very popular racket with the Alsér-grip.[5] It was thicker towards the end of the grip, decreasing the risk of the racket slipping out of the player's grip.

He died in 1977 at the age of 34 in the Linjeflyg Flight 618 plane crash at Kälvesta near Stockholm.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Hans Alser - Biography & Accolades". Table Tennis Media. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Hans Alsér". Find A Grave. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  3. ^ "Men's doubles results" (PDF). International Table Tennis Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2012.
  4. ^ "ALSER Hans (SWE)". International Table Tennis Federation. Archived from the original on 16 October 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Hans Alsér racket". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2012.