[1] Kihlström won the 1983 IBF World Championships in mixed doubles with Nora Perry.

He shared two All-England men's doubles titles, one with Bengt Fröman in 1976 and the other with Stefan Karlsson in 1983.

[3] From 1973 to 1988, Kihlström captured a total of twenty-four events at the Swedish National Championships.

Kihlström competed during an era in which world class badminton became increasingly event-specialized.

His skill as an "all-arounder" is demonstrated by the facts that he is the only player to have won medals in all three events, men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles at the BWF World Championships, and is the only man to have won each of these three events at the Japan Open.