Gunde Svan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gunde Svan
Gunde Svan in 2019
Country	Sweden
Full name	Gunde Anders Svan
Born	(1962-01-12) 12 January 1962 (age 63) 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)
Individual wins	30
Team wins	9
Indiv. podiums	46
Team podiums	14
Indiv. starts	71
Team starts	14
Overall titles	5 – (1984–1986, 1988, 1989)
Medal record Men's cross-country skiing Representing  Sweden International nordic ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 1 1 World Championships 7 3 1 Total 11 4 2 Olympic Games Gold 1984 Sarajevo 15 km Gold 1984 Sarajevo 4 × 10 km relay Gold 1988 Calgary 50 km freestyle Gold 1988 Calgary 4 × 10 km relay Silver 1984 Sarajevo 50 km Bronze 1984  Sarajevo 30 km World Championships Gold 1985 Seefeld 30 km Gold 1985 Seefeld 50 km Gold 1987 Oberstdorf 4 × 10 km relay Gold 1989 Lahti 15 km freestyle Gold 1989 Lahti 50 km freestyle Gold 1989 Lahti 4 × 10 km relay Gold 1991 Val di Fiemme 30 km classical Silver 1991 Val di Fiemme 15 km freestyle Silver 1991 Val di Fiemme 50 km freestyle Silver 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 × 10 km relay Bronze 1985 Seefeld 4 × 10 km relay Junior World Championships Gold 1982 Murau 3 × 5 km relay Silver 1980 Örnsköldsvik 3 × 5 km relay Silver 1981 Schonach 3 × 5 km relay Bronze 1981 Schonach 15 km

Gunde Anders Svan (born 12 January 1962) is a famous Swedish athlete. He was a top cross-country skier and later an auto racing driver. During his skiing career, he won many medals at the Winter Olympics and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. He also won the 15 km race once (1983) and the 50 km race twice (1986, 1990) at the Holmenkollen ski festival. Gunde Svan received the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1984 and the Holmenkollen medal in 1985. He also won the Jerring Award twice, in 1984 and 1985. Today, he is a board member of the International Ski Federation.

Gunde Svan's Amazing Career

Gunde Svan was known for his incredible focus and hard work during his skiing days. He paid attention to every small detail. For example, he used super light metal for his ski pole tips. This saved him about 4 grams of weight!

Olympic Success

Gunde Svan had a fantastic time at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. He won two gold medals in the 15 km race and the 4 x 10 km relay. He also earned a bronze medal in the 30 km race and a silver in the 50 km race. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, he continued his winning streak. He took home two more gold medals for the 50 km race and the relay. Overall, he won four Olympic gold medals!

World Championship Wins

He also shined at the World Championships. Gunde Svan won six gold medals there. He also won the World Cup five times, showing he was the best skier in the world for many years.

From Skis to Race Cars

After his skiing career, Gunde Svan tried a new sport: rallycross. He wanted to prove that his success wasn't just natural talent. He believed it was all about hard work and dedication. His famous saying was "nothing is impossible." He used the same careful methods for racing cars as he did for skiing. He even built his own special machine to practice his reaction time for race starts! He won a gold medal in the Swedish Rallycross Championship. He also earned a bronze medal in the European Championship in 1995.

Life After Sports

After retiring from sports, Gunde Svan became a TV host. He hosted popular game shows in Sweden, like the Swedish versions of American Gladiators and Fort Boyard. He also appeared in many TV commercials. In 2018, he competed in Let's Dance 2018 and finished third. Today, Gunde Svan lives on his large forest farm. He works there with his son, Ferry Svan, and supports his children's careers.

Cross-country Skiing Results

All of Gunde Svan's results come from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Olympic Games Medals

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

World Championships Medals

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

World Cup Season Titles

• 5 titles – (5 overall)

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

World Cup 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

Note: Until 1999, World Championship and Olympic races were also counted as part of the World Cup scoring system.

Racing Record Summary

Gunde Svan competed in rallycross after his skiing career. He won a gold medal in the Swedish Championship. He also earned a bronze medal in the FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers in 1995. He drove a Toyota Celica GT-Four.

See also

In Spanish: Gunde Svan para niños