Arne Ljungqvist, Swedish Champion in high jumping. At the 1952 Helsingfors Summer Olympics.
The reason behind the sculpture initiative is Professor Arne Ljungqvist's undisputed aura, ambition, and lifelong devotion to anti-doping. Professor Arne Ljungqvist is on his 94th year, and is still active. When he was 21 he competed in the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics. Becoming the Swedish high jumping champion that year, he knew what it took for an elite athlete to reach the top. He also knew exactly how high 2.01 meters is. When you have to jump over that hight using the scissor-style technique you also were destined to land 2.01 meters down as well. On sand and on your feet. Winding the tape fast forward to his 80th birthday reception in 2011 is a brutal journey, skipping an endless list of groundbreaking efforts as the world's foremost anti-doping crusader. The journey is described in books, documentary films and articles to be found elsewhere than this website. They all come to the same conclusion as Sir Sebastian Coe, President of the World Athletics, did when he recorded a video greeting to Professor Ljungqvist in connection to the unveiling ceremony of Et Purus 2 in Stockholm 2024. Here is a short snippet of his greeting:
The same conclusion has been acknowledged by many others within the world of sports – colleagues, supervisors, athletes, and friends from around the world.
Check out Sebastian's and all the other's recorded video greetings.
ET PURUS – THE SHORT STORY
The long story for Et Purus is a work in progress with tracks back to 2008. It is documented along the way and expected to turn into a film one day. Here's the short story: While producing a documentary film about Professor Ljungvist and the story of doping (The War On Doping, see below), the film director Mats Omne and producer Bjorn Bertoft traveled intensively around the world with the then 78-year-old professor Mats and Bjorn learned to know a kind man with rock-solid integrity, deeply respected worldwide for his competence and experiences. They learned that Professur Ljungqvist was considered a "rockstar" by sports delegates, celebrities, royalties, and athletes – young or old. No matter where they went or whom they met. Bjorn Bertoft: "Heroes like Professor Ljungqvist should be honored and celebrated while they are here with us so they can feel the appreciation, hear the speeches, and party with family and friends after the ceremony." On his 80th birthday reception in May 2011, Professor Arne Ljungqvist was therefore awarded a "sculpture idea" as a personal gift from Bjorn Bertoft to honor his already then 40-year-long global crusade against doping. How that project should be funded or materialized into reality was, however, not in place there and then. Artist Sassona Norton had been chosen amongst eight internationally renowned sculptors to create an artistic monument. A simple cardboard dummy was unveiled on the reception stage – just to symbolically mark the start of the project in front of the 200 invited guests.
Appreciated by athletes and sports delegates – Pernilla Wiberg (alpine skiing), Thomas Brolin (soccer), Ms Yuan Hong (Chinese Sports Ministry), and Kajsa Bergqvist (high jump).
The monument was named ”Et Purus” in Latin, meaning “And Clean”. It portrays the classic hand gesture ”No 1”, used intuitively all over the world by all cultures and sports, celebrating performance excellence or victory. A ring on the index fingertip were to symbolize excellence performed with a clean and doping-free body. The ring marks a ”window” into the individuals inspected and a clean body. Ten years later, with substantial support by Fabege AB (publ) and other parties, the first bronze monument was unveiled in Monaco by H.S.H. Prince Albert II. Add another three years to the timeline and you're landing on the unveiling of Et Purus No 2 In Professor Ljungqvist's hometown Stockholm, unveiled by H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. The sculpture Et Purus is intended, in a series of 20, to be placed in cities around the world. As a reminder of the conscious choice to stay away from doping – as a pure and healthy citizen and as a clean and competitive athlete. The No 1 gesture is an “all people’s gesture” no matter sports, age, gender, color of skin, cultural roots, political direction or religious beliefs. Everybody and nobody owns the gesture.
THE WAR ON DOPING
Here's a trailer and the first three minutes of the one-hour documentary film, featuring Professor Arne Ljungqvist:
The film was produced between 2008-2012 and "avance-premiered" at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in 2012 and screened at the London 2012 Summer Olympics. It was awarded Best Sports Documentary film at the FICTS World Sports Film Festival 2012 in Beijing. It was distributed in 20 countries on five continents and screened at seminars in Beijing, Paris, Cannes, Madrid, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, Sotchi, London, Buenos Aires, Stockholm and Gothenburg.