Kristen Skjeldal (born 27 May 1967) is an Olympic champion and cross-country skier from Norway. He has won three olympic medals: two gold and one bronze. He won his first gold medal in the 4 × 10 km relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. He finished fourth in 30 km freestyle event at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, but was awarded the bronze medal upon Spain's Johann Mühlegg EPO-doping disqualification. Subsequently, devices for blood doping were found at the hotel room of the doctor for the Austrian cross-country team. Since Skjeldal won the bronze behind two Austrians, many regard him as the real olympic champion. Skjeldal also won a gold medal in 4 × 10 km relay at those same games.
| Kristen Skjeldal | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Norway | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 27 May 1967 Voss, Norway | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Ski club | Bulken IL | ||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup career | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Seasons | 19 – (1989–1992, 1994–2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Starts | 160 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Podiums | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Overall titles | 0 – (4th in 2002) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline titles | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||
His best finish at the Nordic skiing World Championships was a sixth in the 50 km event in 1999. Skjeldal has also won thirteen cross-country skiing events of various distances between 1991 and 2006.
Skjeldal was still an active skier in 2005, located in his ski club in Bulken, Norway. His brother Gudmund Skjeldal also has participated in the Olympics.
In 2005 Gudmund published a biography about his brother, called Den siste langrennaren.
Almost 45 years old, Skjeldal did a remarkable comeback at the Norwegian Championship 2012, finishing eight at the 15 km free, beating all of the Norwegian team elite squad, except Martin Johnsrud Sundby, who won.
Cross-country skiing results
editAll results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[1]
Olympic Games
edit- 3 medals – (2 gold, 1 bronze)
| Year | Age | 10 km | 15 km | Pursuit | 30 km | 50 km | Sprint | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 24 | 38 | — | DNS | — | 20 | — | Gold |
| 1994 | 26 | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — |
| 2002 | 34 | — | — | 22 | Bronze | — | — | Gold |
World Championships
edit| Year | Age | 10 km | 15 km | Pursuit | 30 km | 50 km | Sprint | 4 × 10 km relay |
Team sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 23 | — | 7 | — | — | 17 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 27 | 26 | — | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 29 | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | — |
| 1999 | 31 | — | — | — | 14 | 6 | — | — | — |
| 2001 | 33 | — | — | 10 | — | 10 | — | — | — |
| 2003 | 35 | — | — | 22 | — | 24 | — | — | — |
| 2005 | 37 | — | — | 7 | — | 7 | — | — | — |
World Cup
editSeason standings
edit| Season | Age | Discipline standings | Ski Tour standings | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | Distance | Long Distance | Middle Distance | Sprint | Tour de Ski |
World Cup Final | ||
| 1989 | 21 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1990 | 22 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991 | 23 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992 | 24 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 26 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 27 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 28 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 29 | 7 | — | 12 | — | 5 | — | — |
| 1998 | 30 | 29 | — | 17 | — | 55 | — | — |
| 1999 | 31 | 19 | — | 10 | — | 25 | — | — |
| 2000 | 32 | 21 | — | 16 | 11 | — | — | — |
| 2001 | 33 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2002 | 34 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2003 | 35 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2004 | 36 | 15 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2005 | 37 | 26 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2006 | 38 | 71 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007 | 39 | 124 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2008 | 40 | 119 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — |
Individual podiums
edit- 1 victory
- 11 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1990–91 | 3 March 1991 |  Lahti, Finland |
30 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 2 | 1991–92 | 14 December 1991 |  Thunder Bay, Canada |
30 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 3 | 1994–95 | 27 November 1994 |  Kiruna, Sweden |
10 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 4 | 1996–97 | 23 November 1996 | Kiruna, Sweden |
10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 5 | 14 December 1996 |  Brusson, Italy |
15 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd | |
| 6 | 2000–01 | 17 March 2001 | Falun, Sweden |
15 km Individual C | World Cup | 3rd |
| 7 | 2001–02 | 12 January 2002 |  Nové Město, Czech Republic |
10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 8 | 9 March 2002 | Falun, Sweden |
10 km + 10 km Pursuit C/F | World Cup | 3rd | |
| 9 | 16 March 2002 | Oslo, Norway |
50 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd | |
| 10 | 2003–04 | 6 December 2003 | Toblach, Italy |
30 km Mass Start F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 11 | 2004–05 | 22 January 2005 | Pragelato, Italy |
15 km + 15 km Pursuit C/F | World Cup | 3rd |
Team podiums
edit- 12 victories
- 22 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | Teammates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1990–91 | 1 March 1991 | Lahti, Finland |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Langli / Skaanes / Dæhlie |
| 2 | 1991–92 | 18 February 1992 |  Albertville, France |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | Olympic Games[1] | 1st | Langli / Ulvang / Dæhlie |
| 3 | 28 February 1992 | Lahti, Finland |
4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 2nd | Langli / Ulvang / Dæhlie | |
| 4 | 1993–94 | 4 March 1994 | Lahti, Finland |
4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 2nd | Eide / Kristiansen / Alsgaard |
| 5 | 1994–95 | 18 December 1994 | Sappada, Italy |
4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Kristiansen / Dæhlie / Alsgaard |
| 6 | 26 March 1995 |  Sapporo, Japan |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Ulvang / Dæhlie / Alsgaard | |
| 7 | 1995–96 | 1 March 1996 | Lahti, Finland |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Eide / Kristiansen / Alsgaard |
| 8 | 1996–97 | 24 November 1996 | Kiruna, Sweden |
4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 3rd | Eide / Ulvang / Dæhlie |
| 9 | 8 December 1996 |  Davos, Switzerland |
4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 3rd | Ulvang / Eide / Sivertsen | |
| 10 | 15 December 1996 | Brusson, Italy |
4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Kristiansen / Eide / Dæhlie | |
| 11 | 9 March 1997 | Falun, Sweden |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Sivertsen / Jevne / Dæhlie | |
| 12 | 1998–99 | 29 November 1998 | Muonio, Finland |
4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 2nd | Bjørndalen / Dæhlie / Hetland |
| 13 | 1999–00 | 28 November 1999 | Kiruna, Sweden |
4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 2nd | Bjervig / Alsgaard / Hetland |
| 14 | 13 January 2000 | Nové Město, Czech Republic |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Hjelmeset / Jevne / Alsgaard | |
| 15 | 2000–01 | 26 November 2000 | Beitostølen, Norway |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Bjonviken / Hjelmeset / Hetland |
| 16 | 9 December 2000 | Santa Caterina, Italy |
4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Estil / Hetland / Alsgaard | |
| 17 | 2001–02 | 10 March 2002 | Falun, Sweden |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Estil / Aukland / Alsgaard |
| 18 | 2002–03 | 24 November 2002 | Kiruna, Sweden |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Aukland / Hetland / Alsgaard |
| 19 | 8 December 2002 | Davos, Switzerland |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Hjelmeset / Estil / Bjervig | |
| 20 | 2003–04 | 14 December 2003 | Davos, Switzerland |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Aukland / Estil / Hetland |
| 21 | 22 February 2004 | Umeå, Sweden |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Hjelmeset / Estil / Hofstad | |
| 22 | 2004–05 | 20 March 2005 | Falun, Sweden |
4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Svartedal / Hjelmeset / Hofstad |
Note: 1 Until the 1994 Olympics, Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.
References
edit- ^ "SKJELDAL Kristen". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 6 January 2020.