Ingemar Stenmark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ingemar Stenmark

Alpine skier
Stenmark in 2014
Club	Tärna IK Fjällvinden
Born	(1956-03-18) 18 March 1956 (age 69) Joesjö, Sweden
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Olympics
Teams	3
Medals	3 (2 gold)
World Championships
Medals	7 (5 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	16 (1974–1989)
Wins	86 (46 GS, 40 SL)
Podiums	155
Overall titles	3
Discipline titles	16
Medal record International alpine ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 1 World Championships 5 1 1 World Cup standings podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Overall 3 6 0 Slalom 8 4 1 Giant 8 3 0 World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Slalom 40 29 12 Giant 46 13 13 Parallel 0 1 0 Combined 0 0 1 Olympic Games Gold 1980 Lake Placid Giant slalom Gold 1980 Lake Placid Slalom Bronze 1976 Innsbruck Giant slalom World Championships Bronze 1976 Innsbruck Giant slalom Gold 1978 Garmisch Giant slalom Gold 1978 Garmisch Slalom Gold 1980 Wilmington Giant slalom Gold 1980 Wilmington Slalom Gold 1982 Schladming Slalom Silver 1982 Schladming Giant slalom

Jan Ingemar Stenmark (born March 18, 1956) is a famous Swedish former alpine ski racer. Many people think he is one of the greatest skiers ever. He won many Olympic medals and World Cups during his amazing career. When he stopped competing in 1989, he held the record for the most international race wins. This record was only broken in 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin. Ingemar Stenmark still holds the record for men. He raced for Tärna IK Fjällvinden.

About Ingemar Stenmark

Ingemar Stenmark and Lindsey Vonn in 2016

Ingemar Stenmark skiing in Alta Badia in 1986

Ingemar Stenmark in 1979

Ingemar Stenmark was born in Joesjö, Lapland, Sweden. When he was four years old, his family moved to Tärnaby. This town is close to Norway. He grew up next door to Stig Strand, who was also a skier. Stig Strand even tied with Ingemar for a World Cup title in 1983. Ingemar started skiing when he was five. He won his first national competition at just eight years old.

Ingemar Stenmark's Skiing Career

Ingemar Stenmark started his World Cup career in December 1973. He was 17 years old. By the time he retired, he had won more international races than any other alpine skier. He had 86 World Cup wins. These included 46 wins in giant slalom and 40 in slalom. Only Mikaela Shiffrin has won more races since then.

Ingemar was a master of technical skiing. He only competed in slalom and giant slalom events. These races focus on quick turns and precise movements. He did not often race in faster events like downhill or super-G. He was not comfortable with speeds over 120 kilometers per hour (about 75 mph). His coach, Hermann Nogler, said that Ingemar always looked for the best way to ski through the gates.

Ingemar won the overall World Cup title three times in a row, from 1976 to 1978. He was the first skier from Scandinavia to do this. He also holds the record for the biggest winning margin in a World Cup race. In 1979, he won a race by 4.06 seconds! Ingemar was known for being a quiet champion. He gave short but polite answers to reporters.

Awards and Honors

For his three World Cup titles, Ingemar received the Holmenkollen medal in 1979. He also won the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal twice, in 1975 and 1978. In 1978, he shared this award with tennis star Björn Borg. They are the only two men to win it twice. Ingemar is also the only male skier to win eight World Cup titles in both slalom and giant slalom.

World Championships and Olympics

At the World Championships in 1978, Ingemar won both the slalom and giant slalom. He then won both of these titles again at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. These Olympic wins also counted as World Championship titles.

In 1982, at the next World Championships, he won the slalom again. This made him the first skier to win the same title in three World Championships in a row. He also won a silver medal in giant slalom that year. This was his last medal in a major competition.

Ingemar was so good that people called him the "slalom king." He was not allowed to compete in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. This was because of rules about how athletes received money for promotions. This was a big disappointment for the Swedish team. Ingemar returned to the Olympics in 1988, but he did not win a medal. He still had the fastest second run in the slalom race.

He stopped competing in the World Cup in March 1989, just before his 33rd birthday. He held the record for World Cup race wins until 2023.

Life After Skiing

From 1976 to 1978, Ingemar Stenmark became a national hero in Sweden. He was famous alongside tennis player Björn Borg. In 1980, he moved to Monaco.

In 1996, when he was 40, he won the Swedish Superstars championship. On December 26, 2004, Ingemar survived the Indian Ocean earthquake while on vacation in Thailand. In 2015, he was a celebrity dancer on the TV show Let's Dance 2015. He danced with professional dancer Cecilia Ehrling.

He is an ambassador for the Börje Salming ALS Foundation. This foundation is named after his close friend, a Swedish ice hockey player who passed away from ALS in 2022. In 2024, at 68 years old, Ingemar took part in the World Masters Athletics Championships. He jumped three meters and placed eighth overall.

Personal Life

Ingemar Stenmark was married to Ann Uvhagen from 1984 to 1987. She was an airline hostess. They had a child together, born in 1984.

Ingemar Stenmark's Skiing Achievements

World Cup Season Titles

Ingemar won 19 World Cup titles in total: 3 overall titles, 8 in Giant Slalom, and 8 in Slalom.

World Cup Season Standings

World Cup Race Podiums

Ingemar Stenmark had 86 wins and 155 podium finishes (top 3) in his World Cup career.

World Championship Results

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also counted as World Championships for alpine skiing.

Olympic Results

Other Honours

• Jerring Award: 1979, 1980
• H. M. The King's Medal: 1978

See also

In Spanish: Ingemar Stenmark para niños