A season to be framed the 2017 of Perseus Karlstrom (SWE).
The new 50km recordman from Sweden started competing internationally this year on March 12, 2017 at Ciudad Juarez in Mexico in the Circuito Internacional de Marcha valid for the IAAF Challenge where he arrived 16th with the time that for him was little more than a workout (1:25:54).
The following week in Monterrey, again in the Circuito Internacional de Marcha valid for the IAAF Challenge, does not end the race and obtains one of the few counter-tests of the year.
The others in Taicang (CHN) on April 15, 2017, also forced to abandon and to that, for him more than expected: the World Championships in London on 13.8.2017 where he finishes only 37th in a time too far from his personal best of 1:19:11 established in Podebrady (CZE) on 9.2.2016.
Following his competitions this year in the various distances:
5.000m track walk
| Date | Venue / Event | Nation | Pos. | Result |
| | | | | |
| 26.11.2017 | Melbourne | AUS | 1. | 19:33.1h |
| 10.12.2017 | Melbourne | AUS | 1. | 19:26.8h |
10.000m track walk
| Date | Venue / Event | Nation | Pos. | Result |
| | | | | |
| 02.09.2017 | Stockholm Finnkampen | SWE | 1. | 38:57.45 |
20 km road walk
| Date | Venue / Event | Nation | Pos. | Result |
| | | | | |
| 12.03.2017 | Ciudad Juarez - IAAF Race Walking Challenge | MEX | 16. | 1:25:54 |
| 19.03.2017 | Monterrey - IAAF Race Walking Challenge | MEX | - | DNF |
| 01.04.2017 | Rio Maior - IAAF Race Walking Challenge | POR | 6. | 1:21:55 |
| 15.04.2017 | Taicang - IAAF Race Walking Challenge | CHN | - | DNF |
| 21.05.2017 | Poděbrady - Coppa Europa | CZE | 3. | 1:20:40 |
| 03.06.2017 | La Coruña - IAAF Race Walking Challenge | ESP | 2. | 1:20:20 |
| 17.06.2017 | Monterrey - Mexican Championships | MEX | 5. | 1:24:42 |
| 13.08.2017 | London - IAAF World Championships in Athletics | GBR | 37. | 1:23:36 |
| 15.10.2017 | Grottammare - Italian Championships | ITA | 1. | 1:22:47 |
50 km road walk
| Date | Venue / Event | Nation | Pos. | Result |
| | | | | |
| 07.10.2017 | Eskilstuna - Swedish Championships | SWE | 1. | 4:20:42 |
| 17.12.2017 | Melbourne - Australia 50 km Champioships | AUS | 1. | 3:44:35 |
What's more, he also competed in the Taihu Tour (CHN) where after the victory in 20km and the sixth place in the 10km of the second day he suffered from an intestinal virus. The other two days were for him, aiming for a prestigious placement, a huge fight to honor the team standings.
| Dati | Venue / Evento | Nazione | Pos. | Risultato |
| | | | | |
| 24.09.2017 | Around Taihu - 1st stage: 20km Taihu Lake | CHN | 1. | 1:24:19 |
| 25.09.2017 | Around Taihu - 2nd stage: 10 km Mudu | CHN | 6. | 40:24 |
| 26.09.2017 | Around Taihu - 3rd stage: 10,5km Yuanboyuan | CHN | 15. | 45:17 |
| 27.09.2017 | Around Taihu - 4th stage: 10 km Dongshan | CHN | 60. | 50:50 |
The personal impression after having seen him in La Coruna where he had established the season record and Grottammare (where he had obtained the third performance of 2017, after those of La Coruna and Podebrady, 1:20:40, which had earned him bronze in the European Cup 2017) was that of a very fluid and profitable walk with interesting potential.
After all, Grotttammare had competed just one week away from Eskilstuna's 50km, and the recovery of a 50km fully raced under the rain should not have been easy.
Today the icing on the cake: shattered the personal best on 50km, and the one that is the most important broke the Swedish record of 50km that belonged to a monument of race walk of that Country: Bo Gustafsson who had established it in Seoul (KOR) when on September 30, 1988 had arrived 7th at the 1988 Olympic Games.
Exactly 29 years and 78 days have passed. Perseus Karlstrom was not born yet when Bo Gustafsson set the previous record.
We end the news with the following table that summarizes the best 10 all-time performance on the 50km obtained by Scandinavian athletes (Norway, Sweden and Finland).
| Result | Athlete | Venue | Date |
| | | | |
| 3:39:34 | Kononen Valentin (FIN) | Dudince (SVK) | 25.3.2000 |
| 3:41:16 | Nymark Trond (NOR) | Berlin (GER | 21.8.2009 |
| 3:42:36 | Salonen Reima (FIN) | Vantaa (FIN) | 24.5.1986 |
| 3:43:40 | Haukenes Havard (NOR) | Dudince (SVK) | 25.3.2017 |
| 3:44:24 | Andersen Erling (NOR) | Boras (SWE) | 01.6.1985 |
| 3:44:35 | Karlstrom Perseus (SWE) | Melbourne (AUS) | 17.12.2017 |
| 3:44:49 | Gustafsson Bo (SWE) | Seoul (KOR) | 30.9.1988 |
| 3:45:08 | Tysse Erik (NOR) | Beijing (CHN) | 22.08:2008 |
| 3:46:25 | Kinnunen Jarkko (FIN) | London (GBR) | 11.08.2012 |
| 3:46:25 | Ojala Aleksi (FIN) | Dudince (SVK) | 19.3.2016 |
Congratulazioni Perseus !