Gunde Svan

Gunde Svan
Gunde Svan
	Gunde Svan in 2019
Country	Sweden
Full name	Gunde Anders Svan
Born	12 January 1962 (age 62); Dala-Järna, Sweden
Height	188 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Spouse(s)	Marie Svan
Ski club	Dala-Järna IK
World Cup career
Seasons	10 – (1982–1991)
Starts	71
Podiums	46
Wins	30
Overall titles	5 – (1984–1986, 1988, 1989)
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing Sweden
International nordic ski competitions
Olympic Games
World Championships
Junior World Championships

Gunde Anders Svan (born 12 January 1962) is a Swedish former cross-country skier and auto racing driver. During his cross-country skiing career he won a total of four gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the Winter Olympics. Svan won a total of seven golds, three silvers, and one bronze at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Svan also won the 15 km once (1983) and the 50 km twice (1986, 1990) at the Holmenkollen ski festival. In 1984, he earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, and in 1985, he earned the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Anette Bøe and Per Bergerud). In both 1984 and 1985 did Svan win the Jerring Award.^[2] He is a board member of the International Ski Federation.

Biography

During his skiing career he became known for his dedication and attention to detail. For instance, he used a lighter alloy on the tips of his ski poles, saving four grams (0.14 oz). He won two golds (15 km and relay), one bronze (30 km) and one silver (50 km) at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, he won two golds for 50 km and relay. He also won the World championship gold six times and won the World cup five times.

As a competitor in rallycross he got one gold medal in the Swedish Championship and a bronze medal in the FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers (1995: Division 1 – Group N category; with a Toyota Celica GT-Four). One of the reasons for getting into another sport was that some people called him a natural skier while he himself maintained that it's just a matter of will and dedication, according to his famous tagline "nothing is impossible". He applied the same methods to his driving as his skiing and even built his own reaction-tester to practice for the rallycross eminently important starts. When his compatriot and teamboss, the late Christer Bohlin, was not able to fulfill his promise to upgrade his Toyota team for 1996 into the top ERC category (Division 2 by then), Svan quit and gave up rallycross.

After retiring from his athletic career he has worked as the host for some game shows such as the Swedish versions of American Gladiators and Fort Boyard along the swedish national lotery Bingolotto. He has played a seductive lady in the short movie En handelsresandes nöd, directed by rock group Svenne Rubins and starring Claes Månsson, Björn Skifs and Gert Klötzke. He has also appeared in numerous commercials including a famous commercial where he impersonated fellow skier Thomas Wassberg.

Svan resigned from his position as Chief of Cross-Country for Sweden on the week of 4 May 2009 after he was involved in its reorganization.

He participated in Let's Dance 2018 broadcast on TV4 where he finished third together with Jeanette Carlsson.

He retired to his 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) forest farm, where he worked with his son, Ferry Svan, and now supports his children's careers.^[3]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).^[4]

Olympic Games

6 medals – (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)

Year	Age	15 km	30 km	50 km	4 × 10 km relay
1984	22	Gold	Bronze	Silver	Gold
1988	26	14	10	Gold	Gold

World Championships

11 medals – (7 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)

Year	Age	10 km	15 km classical	15 km freestyle	30 km	50 km	4 × 10 km relay
1982	20	—	13	—	—	—	—
1985	23	—	5	—	Gold	Gold	Bronze
1987	25	—	—	—	7	—	Gold
1989	27	—	6	Gold	—	Gold	Gold
1991	29	—	—	Silver	Gold	Silver	Silver

World Cup

Season titles

5 titles – (5 overall)

	Season
	Season	Discipline
	1984	Overall
	1985	Overall
	1986	Overall
	1988	Overall
	1989	Overall

Season standings

Season	Age	Overall
1982	20	57
1983	21
1984	22
1985	23
1986	24
1987	25
1988	26
1989	27
1990	28
1991	29	8

Individual podiums

30 victories
46 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place
1	1982–83	12 March 1983	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual	World Cup	3rd
2		19 March 1983	Anchorage, United States	15 km Individual	World Cup	1st
3		27 March 1983	Labrador City, Canada	30 km Individual	World Cup	1st
4	1983–84	16 December 1983	Ramsau, Austria	30 km Individual	World Cup	1st
5		10 February 1984	Sarajevo, Yugoslavia	30 km Individual	Olympic Games^[1]	3rd
6		13 February 1984		15 km Individual	Olympic Games^[1]	1st
7		19 February 1984		50 km Individual	Olympic Games^[1]	2nd
8		25 February 1984	Falun, Sweden	30 km Individual	World Cup	1st
9		2 March 1984	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual	World Cup	3rd
10		10 March 1984	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual	World Cup	3rd
11		17 March 1984	Fairbanks, United States	15 km Individual	World Cup	1st
12	1984–85	9 December 1984	Cogne, Italy	15 km Individual	World Cup	3rd
13		18 January 1985	Seefeld, Austria	30 km Individual	World Championships^[1]	1st
14		27 January 1985	Seefeld, Austria	50 km Individual	World Championships^[1]	1st
15		16 February 1985	Aleko, Bulgaria	15 km Individual	World Cup	1st
16		23 February 1985	Syktyvkar, Soviet Union	15 km Individual	World Cup	1st
17		9 March 1985	Falun, Sweden	30 km Individual	World Cup	1st
18		14 March 1985	Oslo, Norway	15 km Individual	World Cup	2nd
19	1985–86	8 December 1985	Labrador City, Canada	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
20		14 December 1985	Biwabik, United States	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
21		11 January 1986	La Bresse, France	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
22		15 January 1986	Bohinj, Yugoslavia	5 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
23		14 February 1986	Oberstdorf, West Germany	50 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
24		23 February 1986	Kavgolovo, Soviet Union	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
25		2 March 1986	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
26		14 March 1986	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
27	1986–87	10 December 1986	Ramsau, Austria	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
28	1986–87	13 December 1986	Cogne, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
29	1987–88	12 December 1987	La Clusaz, France	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
30		15 December 1987	Kastelruth, Italy	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
31		19 December 1987	Davos, Switzerland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
32		27 February 1988	Calgary, Canada	50 km Individual F	Olympic Games^[1]	1st
33	1988–89	10 December 1988	Ramsau, Austria	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
34		14 December 1988	Bohinj, Yugoslavia	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
35		17 December 1988	Val di Sole, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
36		13 January 1989	Nové Město, Czechoslovakia	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
37		15 January 1989	Nové Město, Czechoslovakia	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
38		20 February 1989	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual F	World Championships^[1]	1st
39		26 February 1989	Lahti, Finland	50 km Individual F	World Championships^[1]	1st
40	1989–90	13 January 1990	Moscow, Soviet Union	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
41		21 February 1990	Val di Fiemme, Italy	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
42		6 March 1990	Trondheim, Norway	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
43		17 March 1990	Vang, Norway	50 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
44	1990–91	7 February 1991	Val di Fiemme, Italy	30 km Individual C	World Championships^[1]	1st
45		9 February 1991		15 km Individual F	World Championships^[1]	2nd
46		17 February 1991		50 km Individual F	World Championships^[1]	2nd

Team podiums

9 victories
14 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place	Teammates
1	1983–84	16 February 1984	Sarajevo, Yugoslavia	4 × 10 km Relay	Olympic Games^[1]	1st	Wassberg / Kohlberg / Ottosson
2	1983–84	25 February 1984	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay	World Cup	1st	Östlund / Wassberg / Ottosson
3	1984–85	24 January 1985	Seefeld, Austria	4 × 10 km Relay	World Championships^[1]	3rd	Östlund / Wassberg / Eriksson
4		10 March 1985	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay	World Cup	2nd	Östlund / Wassberg / Mogren
5		17 March 1985	Oslo, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay	World Cup	1st	Eriksson / Danielsson / Wassberg
6	1985–86	9 March 1986	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Östlund / Eriksson / Mogren
7	1985–86	13 March 1986	Oslo, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Östlund / Eriksson / Mogren
8	1986–87	17 February 1987	Oberstdorf, West Germany	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Championships^[1]	1st	Östlund / Wassberg / Mogren
9	1987–88	24 February 1988	Calgary, Canada	4 × 10 km Relay F	Olympic Games^[1]	1st	Ottosson / Wassberg / Mogren
10		13 March 1988	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Ottosson / Mogren / Majbäck
11		17 March 1988	Oslo, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Ottosson / Mogren / Majbäck
12	1988–89	24 February 1989	Lahti, Finland	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Championships^[1]	1st	Majbäck / Håland / Mogren
13	1990–91	15 February 1991	Val di Fiemme, Italy	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Championships^[1]	2nd	Eriksson / Majbäck / Mogren
14	1990–91	1 March 1991	Lahti, Finland	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Cup	2nd	Eriksson / Mogren / Forsberg

Note: ¹ Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Racing record

Complete FIA European Rallycross Championship results

Division 1

Year	Entrant	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Position	Points
1994	Christer Bohlin Motorsport	Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD	AUT 5	POR 6	FRA 3	IRE (8)	GBR 5	SWE 7	FIN 2	BEL (7)	NED (7)	NOR (8)	GER 3		5th	92
1995	Christer Bohlin Motorsport	Toyota Celica GT-Four	AUT 3	POR (5)	FRA 1	SWE 2	GBR 3	IRE (7)	BEL 3	NED 3	NOR (6)	FIN 2	CZE 2	GER (4)	3rd	131

References

^ "Anthropometric Measurements of Olympic Cross-Country Skiers".
^ "SR Minnen: Jerringpristagare". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2024-04-01.
^ "Cross-country skiing legend Gunde Svan: "Forestry work is a nice counterbalance to TV work"". Valtra. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
^ "SVAN Gunde". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

External links

Media related to Gunde Svan at Wikimedia Commons
Gunde Svan at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
Gunde Anders Svan at Olympics.com
Gunde Anders Svan at Olympic.org (archived)
Gunde Svan at Olympedia
Holmenkollen medalists - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file at the Wayback Machine (archived February 24, 2007) (in Norwegian)
Holmenkollen winners since 1892 - click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file at the Wayback Machine (archived February 24, 2007) (in Norwegian)
May 8, 2009 article on changes in cross-country skiing, including Svan's resignation.^{[permanent dead link]}

Preceded by Håkan Carlquist	Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal 1984	Succeeded by Patrik Sjöberg

[1] "Anthropometric Measurements of Olympic Cross-Country Skiers".

[2] "SR Minnen: Jerringpristagare". Sveriges Radio (in Swedish). 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2024-04-01.

[3] "Cross-country skiing legend Gunde Svan: "Forestry work is a nice counterbalance to TV work"". Valtra. Retrieved 23 December 2018.

[FISprofile-4] "SVAN Gunde". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 12 January 2020.

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[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Holmenkollen Medal
Until 1900	1895: Viktor Thorn (NOR) 1897: Asbjørn Nilssen (NOR) 1899: Paul Braaten (NOR), Robert Pehrson (NOR)
1900–1950	1901: Aksel Refstad (NOR) 1903: Karl Hovelsen (NOR) 1904: Harald Smith (NOR) 1905: Jonas Holmen (NOR) 1907: Per Bakken 1908: Einar Kristiansen (NOR) 1909: Thorvald Hansen 1910: Lauritz Bergendahl 1911: Otto Tangen (NOR), Knut Holst (NOR) 1912: Olav Bjaaland (NOR) 1914: Johan Kristoffersen (NOR) 1915: Sverre Østbye (NOR) 1916: Lars Høgvold (NOR) 1918: Hassa Horn (NOR), Jørgen Hansen (NOR) 1919: Thorleif Haug (NOR), Otto Aasen (NOR) 1923: Thoralf Strømstad (NOR) 1924: Harald Økern (NOR), Johan Grøttumsbråten (NOR) 1925: Einar Landvik (NOR) 1926: Jacob Tullin Thams 1927: Hagbart Haakonsen (NOR), Einar Lindboe (NOR) 1928: Torjus Hemmestveit (NOR), Mikkjel Hemmestveit (NOR) 1931: Hans Vinjarengen (NOR), Ole Stenen (NOR) 1934: Oddbjørn Hagen (NOR) 1935: Arne Rustadstuen (NOR) 1937: Olaf Hoffsbakken (NOR), Birger Ruud (NOR), Martin P. Vangsli (NOR) 1938: Reidar Andersen (NOR), Johan R. Henriksen (NOR) 1939: Sven Selånger (SWE), Lars Bergendahl (NOR), Trygve Brodahl (NOR) 1940: Oscar Gjøslien (NOR), Annar Ryen (NOR) 1947: Elling Rønes (NOR) 1948: Asbjørn Ruud (NOR) 1949: Sigmund Ruud (NOR) 1950: Olav Økern (NOR)
1951–2000	1951: Simon Slåttvik (NOR) 1952: Stein Eriksen (NOR), Torbjørn Falkanger (NOR), Heikki Hasu (FIN), Nils Karlsson (SWE) 1953: Magnar Estenstad (NOR) 1954: Martin Stokken (NOR) 1955: Haakon VII (NOR), Hallgeir Brenden (NOR), Veikko Hakulinen (FIN), Sverre Stenersen (NOR) 1956: Borghild Niskin (NOR), Arnfinn Bergmann (NOR), Arne Hoel (NOR) 1957: Eero Kolehmainen (FIN) 1958: Inger Bjørnbakken (NOR), Håkon Brusveen (NOR) 1959: Gunder Gundersen (NOR) 1960: Helmut Recknagel (GDR), Sixten Jernberg (SWE), Sverre Stensheim (NOR), Tormod Knutsen (NOR) 1961: Harald Grønningen (NOR) 1962: Toralf Engan (NOR) 1963: Alevtina Kolchina (URS), Pavel Kolchin (URS), Astrid Sandvik (NOR), Torbjørn Yggeseth (NOR) 1964: Veikko Kankkonen (FIN), Eero Mäntyranta (FIN), Georg Thoma (FRG), Halvor Næs (NOR) 1965: Arto Tiainen (FIN), Bengt Eriksson (SWE), Arne Larsen (NOR) 1967: Toini Gustafsson (SWE), Ole Ellefsæter (NOR) 1968: Olav V (NOR), Assar Rönnlund (SWE), Gjermund Eggen (NOR), Bjørn Wirkola (NOR) 1969: Odd Martinsen (NOR) 1970: Pål Tyldum (NOR) 1971: Marjatta Kajosmaa (FIN), Berit Mørdre (NOR), Reidar Hjermstad (NOR) 1972: Rauno Miettinen (FIN), Magne Myrmo (NOR) 1973: Einar Bergsland (NOR), Ingolf Mork (NOR), Franz Keller (FRG) 1974: Juha Mieto (FIN) 1975: Gerhard Grimmer (GDR), Oddvar Brå (NOR), Ivar Formo (NOR) 1976: Ulrich Wehling (GDR) 1977: Helena Takalo (FIN), Hilkka Kuntola (FIN), Walter Steiner (SUI) 1979: Ingemar Stenmark (SWE), Erik Håker (NOR), Raisa Smetanina (URS) 1980: Thomas Wassberg (SWE) 1981: Johan Sætre (NOR) 1983: Berit Aunli (NOR), Tom Sandberg (NOR) 1984: Lars Erik Eriksen (NOR), Jakob Vaage (NOR), Armin Kogler (AUT) 1985: Anette Bøe (NOR), Per Bergerud (NOR), Gunde Svan (SWE) 1986: Brit Pettersen (NOR) 1987: Matti Nykänen (FIN), Hermann Weinbuch (FRG) 1989: Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi (FIN) 1991: Vegard Ulvang (NOR), Trond Einar Elden (NOR), Ernst Vettori (AUT), Jens Weißflog (GER) 1992: Yelena Välbe (RUS) 1993: Emil Kvanlid (NOR) 1994: Lyubov Yegorova (RUS), Vladimir Smirnov (KAZ), Espen Bredesen (NOR) 1995: Kenji Ogiwara (JPN) 1996: Manuela Di Centa (ITA) 1997: Bjarte Engen Vik (NOR), Stefania Belmondo (ITA), Bjørn Dæhlie (NOR) 1998: Fred Børre Lundberg (NOR), Larisa Lazutina (RUS), Alexey Prokurorov (RUS), Harri Kirvesniemi (FIN) 1999: Kazuyoshi Funaki (JPN)
Since 2001	2001: Adam Małysz (POL), Bente Skari (NOR), Thomas Alsgaard (NOR) 2003: Felix Gottwald (AUT), Ronny Ackermann (GER) 2004: Yuliya Chepalova (RUS) 2005: Andrus Veerpalu (EST) 2007: Frode Estil (NOR), Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset (NOR), Harald V (NOR), Sonja (NOR), Simon Ammann (SUI) 2010: Marit Bjørgen (NOR) 2011: Ole Einar Bjørndalen (NOR), Michael Greis (GER), Andrea Henkel (GER), Janne Ahonen (FIN) 2012: Magdalena Neuner (GER), Emil Hegle Svendsen (NOR) 2013: Tora Berger (NOR), Martin Fourcade (FRA), Therese Johaug (NOR), Gregor Schlierenzauer (AUT) 2014: Magnus Moan (NOR), Eric Frenzel (GER), Thomas Morgenstern (AUT), Darya Domracheva (BLR) 2015: Eldar Rønning (NOR), Anders Bardal (NOR), Anette Sagen (NOR), Kamil Stoch (POL) 2016: Noriaki Kasai (JPN), Tarjei Bø (NOR) 2017: Marie Dorin Habert (FRA), Sara Takanashi (JPN) 2018: Charlotte Kalla (SWE), Princess Astrid (NOR), Hannu Manninen (FIN), Kaisa Mäkäräinen (FIN) 2021: Maren Lundby (NOR), Johannes Thingnes Bø (NOR), Dario Cologna (SWI), Johannes Rydzek (GER) 2022: Tiril Eckhoff (NOR), Marte Olsbu Røiseland (NOR), Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR), Jørgen Graabak (NOR) 2023: Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR), Stefan Kraft (AUT) 2024: Jessie Diggins (USA), Simen Hegstad Krüger (NOR)

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