Aust ambassador wins Swedish reindeer race

Australia's ambassador to Sweden Gerald Thomson has taken home an antler after winning in a reindeer race in northern Sweden.

Australian ambassador Gerald Thomson has slayed the opposition to win a reindeer race in northern Sweden, collecting an antler for first prize.

Thomson was forced to lie down on a sled behind a reindeer against eight other contestants during a competition at Jokkmokk market in Lapland.

The Australian tore his way through the quarter-finals and semi-finals before winning the final on Saturday.

The Swedish market lasts three days and attracts around 40,000 visitors each year.

Held for more than 400 years, the market is a gathering for indigenous Sami people to trade reindeer skins, meet old friends and race across the ice. It's usually held on one of the coldest weeks of the year with temperatures often dropping to -30C.


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Source: AAP



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