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 19 June 1967) is an amazing cross-country skier from Norway. He is now a successful businessman. From 1992 to 1999, Dæhlie won the Nordic World Cup six times. He finished second in 1994 and 1998. Dæhlie won a total of 29 medals at the Olympics and World Championships between 1991 and 1999. This makes him one of the best male cross-country skiers ever. After skiing, he became a successful businessman in real estate and fashion.

Bjørn Dæhlie's Early Life

Bjørn Dæhlie was born in Elverum, Norway. He later moved to Nannestad. He loved sports from a young age. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, hiking, kayaking, football, and skiing. He first wanted to be a football player. But a coach suggested Nordic skiing, and he tried it. He wasn't an instant junior star. But he kept getting better. Soon, he was good enough for the FIS World Cup.

Bjørn Dæhlie's Skiing Career

Dæhlie first joined the Norwegian skiing team for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. He didn't race, but he learned from older skiers. He said these Olympics changed Norwegian skiing for the better. He started in the World Cup in January 1989. He finished 11th in a 15 km freestyle race. In December of the same year, he won his first World Cup race. It was the first race of the season.

First World Championship Gold

At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1991 in Val di Fiemme, Dæhlie won his first World Championship gold medal. He beat the famous skier Gunde Svan in the 15 km freestyle. This medal was a surprise because Dæhlie was young and not very well known. It was Norway's first individual male gold medal in this event since 1982. Dæhlie also helped his team win the 4 × 10 km relay race.

Olympic Dominance Begins

In 1992, Dæhlie became a dominant force in skiing. He won the World Cup overall title for the first time. He would win it five more times in the next seven years. At the Albertville Olympics, Dæhlie 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 won a silver medal in the 30 km classical style. Dæhlie finished fourth in the 10 km freestyle, where his teammate Vegard Ulvang won gold. Dæhlie finished the relay race backwards, winning by a huge margin. Dæhlie and Ulvang won all the cross-country skiing gold medals. Dæhlie received the Fearnley's Olympic Prize for his amazing performance.

Lillehammer Home Olympics

At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, Dæhlie won two more gold medals. He won the 10 km classical style and the 15 km freestyle pursuit. He also won a silver medal in the 30 km freestyle. His fellow Norwegian, Thomas Alsgaard, beat him in that race. The 4 × 10 km relay was a very close race between Norway and Italy. Italy won gold after Silvio Fauner beat Dæhlie in a sprint finish. Later, Thomas Alsgaard took over the last part of the relay for Norway. Dæhlie skied the third part because Alsgaard was a better sprinter.

Trondheim World Championships Success

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1997 were Dæhlie's most successful World Championships. He competed in front of his home crowd in Trondheim. He won a medal in every race he entered. He took gold in the 10 km classical race, the 10+15 km combined pursuit, and the 4 × 10 km relay. He also won a silver in the 30 km freestyle and a bronze in the 50 km classical. Dæhlie said the championships felt like "Lillehammer all over again." He added that "For me, it's very special to compete in Norway."

Last Olympics in Nagano

Dæhlie won three gold medals and one silver medal in 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 a silver medal. Thomas Alsgaard beat him in a sprint finish. Dæhlie won the 50 km freestyle by only eight seconds over Niklas Jonsson. Both skiers were exhausted at the finish line. Dæhlie said it was his hardest race ever.

Dæhlie also became good friends with Phillip Boit, a Kenyan skier. Dæhlie waited for Boit at the finish line for 20 minutes after the 10 km race. He said Boit deserved encouragement. Philip later named one of his children Dæhlie Boit.

Retirement from Skiing

Dæhlie planned to compete in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. However, a serious roller skiing accident in August 1999 stopped him. He hurt his back, which ended his career. He tried hard to recover with rehabilitation and surgery. But he retired from the sport in March 2001. His decision shocked Norway, where Dæhlie was a national hero.

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 won these medals in three Olympics: Albertville, Lillehammer, and Nagano. He also had great success in the World Championships. He won 17 medals there, with nine of them being gold. He was especially successful at the Trondheim 1997 World Championships. He won medals in all five events. Many people consider Dæhlie one of the greatest Winter Olympic athletes ever. Even though he never won a race at the Holmenkollen ski festival, he received the Holmenkollen medal in 1997.

Other Activities

Bjørn Dæhlie supports groups that help people with conditions like multiple sclerosis. In 2009, Dæhlie raced in the American Birkebeiner to raise money for multiple sclerosis research. He finished second in the 54 km classic race.

In 2011, Dæhlie won the downhill event in the Kicksled World Championships in Hurdal. Also in 2011, Dæhlie announced he would return to racing. He planned to take part in long-distance races like Marcialonga and Vasaloppet.

When he was younger, Dæhlie also ran long-distance races. He represented Ullensaker/Kisa IL. He even competed in a Nordic junior match in 1987.

Cross-country Skiing Results

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

Individual Podiums

• 46 victories
• 81 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place
1	1989–90	9 December 1989	Soldier Hollow, United States	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
2		16 December 1989	Canmore, Canada	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
3		17 February 1990	Campra, Switzerland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
4		21 February 1990	Val di Fiemme, Italy	30 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
5		3 March 1990	Lahti, Finland	15 km + 15 km Pursuit F/C	World Cup	1st
6	1990–91	5 January 1991	Minsk, Soviet Union	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
7		9 January 1991	Štrbské Pleso, Czechoslovakia	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
8		9 February 1991	Val di Fiemme, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Championships	1st
9	1991–92	7 December 1991	Silver Star, Canada	15 km Pursuit C	World Cup	2nd
10		14 December 1991	Thunder Bay, Canada	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
11		4 January 1992	Kavgolovo, Russia	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
12		11 January 1992	Cogne, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
13		10 February 1992	Albertville, France	30 km Individual C	Olympic Games	2nd
14		15 February 1992		15 km Pursuit F	Olympic Games	1st
15		22 February 1992		50 km Individual F	Olympic Games	1st
16		29 February 1992	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
17		7 March 1992	Funäsdalen, Sweden	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
18	1992–93	13 December 1992	Ramsau, Austria	15 km Pursuit C	World Cup	1st
19		3 January 1993	Kavgolovo, Russia	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
20		9 January 1993	Ulrichen, Switzerland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
21		16 January 1993	Bohinj, Slovenia	15 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
22		20 February 1993	Falun, Sweden	30 km Individual C	World Championships	1st
23		24 February 1993		15 km Pursuit F	World Championships	1st
24		28 February 1993		50 km Individual F	World Championships	3rd
25		19 March 1993	Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
26	1993–94	18 December 1993	Davos, Switzerland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
27		22 December 1993	Toblach, Italy	15 km Pursuit F	World Cup	3rd
28		9 January 1994	Kavgolovo, Russia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
29		15 January 1994	Oslo, Norway	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
30		14 February 1994	Lillehammer, Norway	30 km Individual F	Olympic Games	2nd
31		17 February 1994		10 km Individual C	Olympic Games	1st
32		19 February 1994		15 km Pursuit F	Olympic Games	1st
33		5 March 1994	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
34	1994–95	27 November 1994	Kiruna, Sweden	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
35		14 December 1994	Tauplitzalm, Austria	15 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
36		17 December 1994	Sappada, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
37		8 January 1995	Östersund, Sweden	30 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
38		27 January 1995	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
39		29 January 1995		15 km Pursuit C	World Cup	3rd
40		4 February 1995	Falun, Sweden	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
41		9 March 1995	Thunder Bay, Canada	30 km Individual C	World Championships	2nd
42		11 March 1995		10 km Individual C	World Championships	2nd
43		19 March 1995		50 km Individual F	World Championships	2nd
44		25 March 1995	Sapporo, Japan	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
45	1995–96	26 November 1995	Vuokatti, Finland	10 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd
46		29 November 1995	Gällivare, Sweden	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
47		9 December 1995	Davos, Switzerland	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
48		13 December 1995	Brusson, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
49		16 December 1995	Santa Caterina, Italy	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
50		17 December 1995		15 km Pursuit F	World Cup	1st
51		9 January 1996	Štrbské Pleso, Slovakia	50 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
52		2 February 1996	Seefeld, Austria	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
53		10 February 1996	Kavgolovo, Russia	15 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
54		24 February 1996	Trondheim, Norway	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
55		3 March 1996	Lahti, Finland	30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
56		9 March 1996	Falun, Sweden	10 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
57	1996–97	23 November 1996	Kiruna, Sweden	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
58		14 December 1996	Brusson, Italy	15 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
59		18 December 1996	Oberstdorf, Germany	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
60		21 February 1997	Trondheim, Norway	30 km Individual F	World Championships	2nd
61		24 February 1997		10 km Individual C	World Championships	1st
62		25 February 1997		15 km Pursuit F	World Championships	1st
63		2 March 1997		50 km Individual C	World Championships	3rd
64		8 March 1997	Falun, Sweden	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
65		11 March 1997	Sunne, Sweden	1.0 km Sprint F	World Cup	1st
66		15 March 1997	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
67	1997–98	22 November 1997	Beitostølen, Norway	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
68		13 December 1997	Val di Fiemme, Italy	10 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
69		14 December 1997		15 km Pursuit F	World Cup	1st
70		16 December 1997		15 km Individual F	World Cup	3rd
71		20 December 1997	Davos, Switzerland	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
72		14 March 1998	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual C	World Cup	3rd
73	1998–99	28 November 1998	Muonio, Finland	10 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
74		12 December 1998	Toblach, Italy	10 km Individual F	World Cup	1st
75		13 December 1998		15 km Pursuit C	World Cup	1st
76		19 December 1998	Davos, Switzerland	30 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
77		9 January 1999	Nové Město, Czech Republic	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
78		12 January 1999		30 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd
79		19 February 1999	Ramsau, Austria	30 km Individual F	World Championships	3rd
80		7 March 1999	Lahti, Finland	15 km Individual C	World Cup	1st
81		20 March 1999	Oslo, Norway	50 km Individual F	World Cup	2nd

Team Podiums

• 16 victories
• 27 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place	Teammates
1	1987–88	13 March 1988	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	2nd	Bjørn / Mikkelsplass / Ulvang
2	1988–89	5 March 1989	Oslo, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	3rd	Mikkelsplass / Ulvang / Langli
3		12 March 1989	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	3rd	Langli / Mikkelsplass / Ulvang
4	1990–91	15 February 1991	Val di Fiemme, Italy	4 ×10 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Skaanes / Langli / Ulvang
5		1 March 1991	Lahti, Finland	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Skaanes / Langli / Skjeldal
6	1991–92	18 February 1992	Albertville, France	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	Olympic Games	1st	Langli / Ulvang / Skjeldal
7		28 February 1992	Lahti, Finland	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	2nd	Langli / Ulvang / Skjeldal
8		8 March 1992	Funäsdalen, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Sivertsen / Langli / Ulvang
9	1992–93	26 February 1993	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Sivertsen / Ulvang / Langli
10	1993–94	22 February 1994	Lillehammer, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	Olympic Games	2nd	Sivertsen / Ulvang / Alsgaard
11		13 March 1994	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Sivertsen / Jevne / Ulvang
12	1994–95	18 December 1994	Sappada, Italy	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Kristiansen / Skjeldal / Alsgaard
13		5 February 1995	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Sivertsen / Langli / Alsgaard
14		17 March 1995	Thunder Bay, Canada	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Sivertsen / Jevne / Alsgaard
15		26 March 1995	Sapporo, Japan	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Ulvang / Skjeldal / Alsgaard
16	1995–96	10 December 1995	Davos, Switzerland	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Sivertsen / Jevne / Alsgaard
17		14 January 1996	Nové Město, Czech Republic	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	2nd	Alsgaard / Ulvang / Jevne
18		25 February 1996	Trondheim, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Ulvang / Jevne / Alsgaard
19		17 March 1996	Oslo, Norway	4 × 5 km Relay F	World Cup	2nd	Kristiansen / Ulvang / Eide
20	1996–97	24 November 1996	Kiruna, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	3rd	Skjeldal / Eide / Ulvang
21		15 December 1996	Brusson, Italy	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	1st	Kristiansen / Eide / Skjeldal
22		28 February 1997	Trondheim, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Championships	1st	Sivertsen / Jevne / Alsgaard
23		9 March 1997	Falun, Sweden	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Sivertsen / Jevne / Skjeldal
24	1997–98	23 November 1997	Beitostølen, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay C	World Cup	1st	Alsgaard / Eide / Jevne
25	1998–99	29 November 1998	Muonio, Finland	4 × 10 km Relay F	World Cup	2nd	Bjørndalen / Skjeldal / Hetland
26		20 December 1998	Davos, Switzerland	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Cup	1st	Jevne / Bjervig / Hetland
27		26 February 1999	Ramsau, Austria	4 × 10 km Relay C/F	World Championships	2nd	Bjervig / Jevne / Alsgaard

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

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