Bjørn Dæhlie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bjørn Dæhlie
Bjørn Dæhlie in January 2011
Country	Norway
Full name	Bjørn Erlend Dæhlie
Born	(1967-06-19) 19 June 1967 (age 58) Elverum, Norway
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Ski club	Nannestad IL
World Cup career
Seasons	11 – (1989–1999)
Individual wins	46
Team wins	16
Indiv. podiums	81
Team podiums	27
Indiv. starts	127
Overall titles	6 – (1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999)
Discipline titles	2 – (2 SP)
Medal record Men's cross-country skiing Representing  Norway Olympic Games Gold 1992 Albertville 10 km + 15 km combined pursuit Gold 1992 Albertville 50 km freestyle Gold 1992 Albertville 4 × 10 km relay Gold 1994 Lillehammer 10 km classical Gold 1994 Lillehammer 10 km + 15 km combined pursuit Gold 1998 Nagano 10 km classical Gold 1998 Nagano 50 km freestyle Gold 1998 Nagano 4 × 10 km relay Silver 1992 Albertville 30 km classical Silver 1994 Lillehammer 30 km freestyle Silver 1994 Lillehammer 4 × 10 km relay Silver 1998 Nagano 10 km + 15 km combined pursuit World Championships Gold 1991 Val di Fiemme 15 km freestyle Gold 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 × 10 km relay Gold 1993 Falun 30 km classical Gold 1993 Falun 10 km + 15 km combined pursuit Gold 1993 Falun 4 × 10 km relay Gold 1995 Thunder Bay 4 × 10 km relay Gold 1997 Trondheim 10 km classical Gold 1997 Trondheim 10 km + 15 km combined pursuit Gold 1997 Trondheim 4 × 10 km relay Silver 1995 Thunder Bay 10 km classical Silver 1995 Thunder Bay 30 km classical Silver 1995 Thunder Bay 50 km freestyle Silver 1997 Trondheim 30 km freestyle Silver 1999 Ramsau 4 × 10 km relay Bronze 1993 Falun 50 km freestyle Bronze 1997 Trondheim 50 km classical Bronze 1999 Ramsau 30 km freestyle

Bjørn Erlend Dæhlie (born June 19, 1967) is a famous Norwegian businessman and former cross-country skier. He is known as one of the greatest Winter Olympic athletes ever. Between 1991 and 1999, Bjørn won an amazing 29 medals at the Olympics and World Championships. He also won the Nordic World Cup six times.

Bjørn Dæhlie was incredibly fit. During his career, his body could use a lot of oxygen, measured as a VO₂ max of 96 ml/kg/min. This was even when he wasn't in peak training! Experts thought he might have been even fitter during competitions.

After he stopped skiing, Bjørn became a very successful businessman. He invested in real estate and fashion. His business ventures have made him very wealthy.

Early Life and How He Started Skiing

Bjørn Dæhlie was born in Elverum, Norway. He later moved to Nannestad Municipality. Bjørn says his active childhood helped him become a great athlete. He loved hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, and playing football from a young age.

For a long time, Bjørn wanted to be a football player. But a coach encouraged him to try Nordic skiing. He didn't become a top junior skier right away. However, he kept getting better and eventually joined the FIS World Cup competitions.

In 2018, Bjørn mentioned that his family originally came from Alvdal Municipality. He shared this when discussing plans for building a new store in his hometown.

Bjørn Dæhlie's Amazing Skiing Career

Bjørn Dæhlie first joined the Norwegian skiing team for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. He didn't race there but used the time to learn from older, more experienced skiers. He later said these Olympics were a turning point for Norwegian skiing.

He made his first World Cup appearance in January 1989. He finished 11th in a 15 km freestyle race. In December of the same year, he won his very first World Cup race. This was a 15 km freestyle event, the first World Cup race of that season.

First World Championship Gold

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1991 in Val di Fiemme, Italy, Bjørn won his first World Championship gold medal. He beat the famous skier Gunde Svan in the 15 km freestyle race. This win was a big surprise because Bjørn was young and not yet widely known. It was Norway's first individual men's gold medal at the World Championships in a long time. Bjørn also helped his team win gold in the 4 × 10 km relay race.

Olympic Dominance Begins

In 1992, Bjørn Dæhlie started his incredible winning streak. He won the World Cup overall title for the first time. He would go on to win this title five more times in the next seven years!

At the Albertville Olympics, Bjørn won his first Olympic medals. He earned gold in the 10/15 km freestyle pursuit and the 50 km freestyle. He was also part of the winning team for the 4 × 10 km relay. He also won a silver medal in the 30 km classical style race. Bjørn and his teammate Vegard Ulvang won all the cross-country skiing gold medals at these Games. Bjørn was given the Fearnley's Olympic Prize for being the best Norwegian athlete at the Olympics.

Lillehammer and More Medals

At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Bjørn continued his success. He won gold in the 10 km classical style and the 15 km freestyle pursuit. He took home a silver medal in the 30 km freestyle, where his teammate Thomas Alsgaard won. The 4 × 10 km relay race was very close between Norway and Italy. Italy won gold after their skier, Silvio Fauner, beat Bjørn in a sprint at the finish line. Later, Thomas Alsgaard often skied the final leg for Norway because he was a stronger sprinter.

Home Crowd Glory in Trondheim

The 1997 Skiing World Championships were Bjørn's most successful World Championships. Competing in front of his home crowd in Trondheim, Norway, he won a medal in every single race! He won gold in the 10 km classical race, the 10+15 km combined pursuit, and the 4 × 10 km relay. He also earned a silver in the 30 km freestyle and a bronze in the 50 km classical. Bjørn said competing in Norway felt very special.

Last Olympics and a Special Friendship

Bjørn Dæhlie won three more gold medals and one silver at his last Olympics in Nagano. He won the 10 km classical style, the 50 km freestyle, and the 4 × 10 km skiing relay. In the 15 km freestyle pursuit, he won silver, with Thomas Alsgaard winning gold.

The 50 km freestyle race was incredibly tough. Bjørn won by only eight seconds ahead of Niklas Jonsson. Both skiers collapsed at the finish line, completely exhausted. Bjørn said it was the hardest race of his life.

Bjørn also became good friends with Phillip Boit, a skier from Kenya. After the 10 km race, Bjørn waited for Boit at the finish line for 20 minutes to encourage him. Phillip Boit later named one of his children Dæhlie Boit.

Retirement and Legacy

Bjørn had planned to compete in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. However, a serious roller skiing accident in August 1999 caused a back injury. This injury stopped him from competing again. After trying hard to recover, he retired from the sport in March 2001. His retirement was a shock to Norway, where he was a national hero.

Bjørn Dæhlie's eight Olympic gold medals are a record for the Winter Olympics. His total of 12 Olympic medals (eight gold, four silver) is also a record. He achieved all this in just three Olympics: Albertville, Lillehammer, and Nagano. He also won 17 medals at the World Championships, including nine gold. Many people consider Bjørn Dæhlie to be one of the greatest Winter Olympic athletes of all time.

Even though he never won a race at the famous Holmenkollen ski festival, he was still awarded the Holmenkollen medal in 1997.

Bjørn also supports charities, including those that help people with multiple sclerosis. In 2009, he raced in the American Birkebeiner to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. He finished second in a very close race.

In 2011, Bjørn even won a downhill event in the Kicksled World Championships! He also announced he wanted to compete in long-distance races like Marcialonga and Vasaloppet. In his youth, Bjørn also enjoyed long-distance running.

Cross-country Skiing Results Overview

All results are from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games Medals

• 12 medals – (8 gold, 4 silver)

World Championships Medals

• 17 medals – (9 gold, 5 silver, 3 bronze)

World Cup Season Titles

• 8 titles – (6 overall, 2 sprint)

	Season
		Discipline
	1992	Overall
	1993	Overall
	1995	Overall
	1996	Overall
	1997	Overall
		Sprint
	1999	Overall
		Sprint

World Cup Season Standings

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

See also

In Spanish: Bjørn Dæhlie para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
• List of multiple Winter Olympic medalists