Rickard Nilsson - Sweden's Three-Peat Singles Champion | Player Profile
Rickard Nilsson profile: the Coccinelle shooter who became Sweden's first three-time SM Singles champion, with two European bronzes (2009, 2016) and three SM medals in 2026.
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Nationality
Shooter
Role
Career Achievements
Rickard Nilsson - Quick Facts
| Full name | Rickard Nilsson |
| Role | Shooter |
| Club | Coccinelle Pétanque Club, Malmö |
| National honor | "Stor Spelare" (Great Player) #30, Swedish Boule Federation |
| World titles | 0 (2 European Championship bronzes: 2009, 2016) |
Sweden's Three-Peat Singles Champion
Rickard Nilsson is one of the most decorated domestic competitors in Swedish petanque history, a Coccinelle Pétanque Club stalwart best known for becoming the first player ever to win three consecutive Swedish Championship (SM) Singles titles. His achievements across singles, doubles, triples, and precision shooting - now spanning nearly two decades of competition, including three medals at SM 2026 - have earned him recognition as a "Stor Spelare" (Great Player) by the Svenska Bouleförbundet, a lifetime honor reserved for the sport's most accomplished national-team contributors.
Career Overview
Nilsson's signature achievement came in 2011, when he completed a run of three straight SM Singles titles - a first in the tournament's history. The decisive final came against Jimmy Löf of Halmstad Petank, which Nilsson won 13-8 in a match that ended in unusual fashion: Nilsson's own shot struck Löf's scoring boule, sending it off the court to settle in for the match's 13th and deciding point.
Nilsson has also excelled in team formats for Coccinelle Pétanque Club. In 2010, he partnered Joachim "Pimmen" Andersson and Jessica Johansson to win the SM gold medal in Open Triples - the most coveted team title of that year's championship. He returned to the top of the podium in 2016, winning SM gold in Singles, Doubles (again with Andersson), and - alongside Andersson and Johansson once more - Open Mixed Triples, while also taking third place in Mixed Doubles (with Linda Bengtsson) that same year. A decade later, at SM 2026 in Gothenburg, the same trio of Nilsson, Andersson and Johansson won Open Mixed Triples gold for a third time, while Nilsson added a silver in Open Triples (with Andersson and Patric Larsson) and a bronze in Singles - confirming him, well into his career, as one of the country's most active and decorated competitors.
Shooting has been a consistent strength throughout Nilsson's career. He won bronze in Precision Shooting at the 2009 Men's European Championship, then returned to the podium at the 2016 European Championship in Halmstad, Sweden - on home soil - to add a bronze in Singles. Domestically, he set the Swedish national precision-shooting record with 51 points at the 2012 SM final, a mark that stood for thirteen years until Ali Forss broke it with 55 points in 2025. He also added the SM Precision Shooting title in 2016, giving him golds in three separate disciplines (Singles, Doubles, and Precision Shooting) in that single championship.
Playing Style
Nilsson's combination of individual precision-shooting excellence and sustained singles dominance points to a complete, self-reliant game rather than a specialist reliant on teammates. His three-peat in SM Singles - a format that offers nowhere to hide - together with a Swedish precision-shooting record that stood for thirteen years, are among the clearest evidence of a player equally comfortable attacking from distance and grinding out a tournament run on his own. His continued podium finishes two decades into his career, including three medals at SM 2026, point to remarkable longevity alongside that completeness.
Achievements and Honors
- "Stor Spelare" (Great Player) - Swedish Boule Federation, honoree #30
- First three-time consecutive SM Singles champion in Swedish petanque history (2009-2011, third title 2011)
- Two European Championship bronzes: Precision Shooting (2009, Nice) and Singles (2016, Halmstad)
- Swedish Precision Shooting record, 51 points (set 2012 SM final; broken 2025)
- SM gold, Open Triples (2010) and Open Mixed Triples (2016), with Joachim Andersson and Jessica Johansson
- SM gold, Singles, Doubles & Precision Shooting (2016)
- SM 2026 (Gothenburg): gold Open Mixed Triples, silver Open Triples, bronze Singles
Legacy
Rickard Nilsson's three consecutive SM Singles titles remain a standalone entry in Swedish petanque's record books - no other player had managed the feat before him. Combined with two European Championship medals, a Swedish national precision-shooting record that stood for thirteen years, a "Stor Spelare" honor recognizing his sustained contribution to the national team, and a podium return at SM 2026 nearly two decades into his career, Nilsson's career stands as one of the more complete and enduring records in the modern Swedish game, spanning individual brilliance and team success alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rickard Nilsson?
Rickard Nilsson is a Swedish petanque player from Coccinelle Pétanque Club in Malmö. He was the first player to win three consecutive Swedish Championship (SM) Singles titles, has won two European Championship bronze medals (2009, 2016), and is recognized by the Swedish Boule Federation as a 'Stor Spelare' (Great Player). He remains an active competitor, winning three medals at SM 2026 in Gothenburg.
What is Rickard Nilsson's three-peat achievement?
He became the first player in Swedish petanque history to win the SM Singles title three years running, sealing the third in 2011 with a 13-8 win over Jimmy Löf of Halmstad Petank in the final - a match that ended when Nilsson's shot struck Löf's own scoring boule, sending it off the court to settle in as the match's 13th and deciding point.
What is Rickard Nilsson's record in precision shooting?
He won European Championship bronze in Precision Shooting in 2009, then set the Swedish national precision-shooting record - 51 points - at the 2012 SM final, beating a junior William Silfverberg (32 points) and breaking a mark held since 2008. The record stood for thirteen years until Ali Forss of Maria Bouleklubb scored 55 points at SM-veckan in Norrköping in June 2025.
Has Rickard Nilsson played alongside Jessica Johansson?
Yes, repeatedly. Nilsson, Joachim 'Pimmen' Andersson and Jessica Johansson have won Swedish Championship gold together three times as a trio - Open Triples in 2010, and Open Mixed Triples in both 2016 and 2026 - all for Coccinelle Pétanque Club.
Did Rickard Nilsson win a European medal besides the 2009 Precision Shooting bronze?
Yes. He also won European Championship bronze in Men's Singles at the 2016 Europeans, held on home soil in Halmstad, Sweden.
Is Rickard Nilsson still competing?
Yes. At SM 2026 in Gothenburg he won gold in Open Mixed Triples (with Andersson and Johansson), silver in Open Triples (with Andersson and Patric Larsson), and bronze in Singles.
What does 'Stor Spelare' mean?
It is a lifetime honor from the Svenska Bouleförbundet (Swedish Boule Federation) awarded to players who reach 100 senior national-team matches and 150 accumulated points, with bonus points for World and European Championship medals. Nilsson is honoree number 30 in the award's history.