Thomas Alsgaard (born 10 January 1972) is a Norwegian former professional cross-country skier. Alsgaard is regarded by many as the best performer of the freestyle technique (skating) in cross-country skiing and many of today's best skiers have studied his technique. In total, Alsgaard won 15 medals in the Winter Olympics and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, making him one of the most successful skiers of all time.
Early life Born in Flateby, Enebakk, Alsgaard began cross-country ski racing at the age of three. That was when he was entered into a race against many 5-year-olds. He beat all of them. A year later, it was rumored that he was lost in the village the family lived in. In fact, he was found at the local ski area, just about to start his third time around a 9-kilometer loop. Alsgaard says that his passion for skiing comes from liking to be outdoors.
Athletic career Alsgaard got his international breakthrough in the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics winning the 30 kilometre freestyle event. In total, Alsgaard won 15 medals in the Winter Olympics and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, making him one of the most successful skiers of all time. Excluding his World Championships debut in 1993, Alsgaard won at least one gold medal at every Olympic Games and World Championships that he participated from 1994 to 2003. Alsgaard retired from racing after the 2003 World Championships.
He won the Holmenkollen medal in 2001 (shared with Adam Małysz and Bente Skari).
After his career as a professional skier Alsgaard retired from racing in 2003. Between 2013 and 2017 he was the owner and manager of a ski team, Team LeasePlan.
He now works as a technical advisor for Alpina Sports, working in the Nordic boot department.
He is also known as a sports commentator for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
In the Norwegian Championship in January 2011, Alsgaard took a sensational bronze medal at the 15 km classical individual race, defeating many skiers on the Norwegian World Cup team. He was only beaten by Eldar Rønning (gold) and Martin Johnsrud Sundby (silver). He repeated the feat in 2012, expressing frustration with the lack of aggressiveness and initiative in both the younger elite athletes and the team surrounding them.
Ski Classics team owner As of December 2016 the team consists of four "allround" skiers and six skiers with langløp (or long races) as their specialty; Swede Lina Korsgren is the team's only female (as of 2016); Hans Kristian Stadheim assists in coaching. On 21 April 2017, Alsgaard announced that Team LeasePlan had to shut down due to sponsorship problems.
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games 6 medals – (5 gold, 1 silver)
Year Age 10 km 15 km Pursuit 30 km 50 km 4 × 10 km relay Sprint 1994 22 24 Gold — Silver 1998 26 5 Gold 6 Gold 2002 30 — Gold 12 — Gold —
World Championships 9 medals – (6 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) Year Age 10 km 15 km Pursuit 30 km 50 km Sprint 4 × 10 km relay 1993 21 — — — — 1995 23 21 8 — 27 Gold 1997 25 11 4Bronze — Gold 1999 27 14 Gold Silver — Silver 2001 29 16 5 — — 12 Gold 2003 31 — — Gold — 41 Gold
World Cup Season titles 3 titles – (1 overall, long distance, 1 sprint) SeasonDiscipline 1998 Overall Long Distance Sprint
Season standings Season Age OverallLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprint 1993 21 20 1994 22 7 1995 23 16 1996 24 8 1997 25 17 6 24 1998 26 1999 27 13 18 27 2000 28 5 4 8 — 2001 29 6 2002 30 21 2003 31 46 43
Individual podiums 13 victories 29 podiums No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1993–94 14 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway 30 km Individual FOlympic Games 1st2 1994–95 8 January 1995 Östersund, Sweden 30 km Individual F World Cup 3rd3 25 March 1995 Sapporo, Japan 15 km Individual F World Cup 3rd4 1996–97 21 February 1997 Trondheim, Norway 30 km Individual F World Championships 3rd5 1997–98 14 December 1997 Val di Fiemme, Italy 15 km Pursuit F World Cup 2nd6 16 December 1997 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd7 20 December 1997 Davos, Switzerland 30 km Individual C World Cup 2nd8 3 January 1998 Kavgolovo, Russia 30 km Individual F World Cup 2nd9 8 January 1998 Ramsau, Austria 15 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st10 10 January 199830 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st11 8 March 1998 Lahti, Finland 30 km Individual C World Cup 2nd12 11 March 1998 Falun, Sweden 10 km Individual FWorld Cup 1st13 1998–99 19 February 1999 Ramsau am Dachstein, Austria 30 km Individual F World Championships 2nd14 19 February 1999 15 km Pursuit FWorld Championships 1st15 1999–00 27 November 1999 Kiruna, Sweden 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd16 11 December 1999 Sappada, Italy 7.5 km + 15 km Duathlon C/F World Cup 1st17 9 January 2000 Moscow, Russia 30 km Individual F World Cup 2nd18 12 January 2000 Nové Město na Moravě, Czech Republic 15 km Individual C World Cup 1st19 2000–01 25 November 2000 Beitostølen, Norway 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd20 29 November 2000 10 km Individual F World Cup 3rd21 17 December 2000 Brusson, Italy 1.0 km Sprint F World Cup 1st22 10 February 2001 Otepää, Estonia 10 km Individual C World Cup 1st23 7 March 2001 Oslo, Norway 1.0 km Sprint C World Cup 1st24 2001–02 25 November 2001 Kuopio, Finland 10 km Individual F World Cup 3rd25 5 January 2002 Val di Fiemme, Italy 10 km + 10 km Duathlon C/F World Cup 2nd26 2 March 2002 Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd27 9 March 2002 Falun, Sweden 10 km + 10 km Duathlon C/F World Cup 1st28 16 March 2002 Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual F World Cup 1st29 23 March 2002 Birkebeinerrennet, Norway 58 km Mass Start C World Cup 1st
Team podiums
12 victories – (12 ) 25 podiums – (24 , 1 )
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)1 1993–94 22 February 1994 Lillehammer, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C/F Olympic Games 2nd Sivertsen / Ulvang / Dæhlie2 4 March 1994 Lahti, Finland 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Skjeldal / Eide / E. Kristiansen31994–95 18 December 1994 Sappada, Italy 4 × 10 km Relay F World Cup 1stE. Kristiansen / Skjeldal / Dæhlie4 5 February 1995 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup 1st Sivertsen / Langli / Dæhlie 5 12 February 1995 Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Sivertsen / Jevne / B. Kristiansen6 17 March 1995 Thunder Bay, Canada 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Championships 1st Sivertsen / Jevne / Dæhlie 7 26 March 1995 Sapporo, Japan 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Ulvang / Dæhlie / Skjeldal8 1995–96 10 December 1995 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Sivertsen / Jevne / Dæhlie 9 14 January 1996 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Ulvang / Jevne / Dæhlie 10 26 February 1996 Trondheim, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Ulvang / Jevne / Dæhlie11 1 March 1996 Lahti, Finland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Skjeldal / Eide / E. Kristiansen121996–97 28 February 1997 Trondheim, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Sivertsen / Jevne / Dæhlie 13 9 March 1997 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Hjelmeset / Skaanes / Sørgård14 1997–98 23 November 1997 Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 1st Eide / Jevne / Dæhlie 15 6 March 1998 Lahti, Finland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Estil / Sivertsen / Eide 16 1998–99 26 February 1999 Ramsau, Austria 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Championships 2nd Bjervig / Jevne / Dæhlie 17 1999–00 28 November 1999 Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay F World Cup 2nd Bjervig / Skjeldal / Hetland18 13 January 2000 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Hjelmeset / Jevne / Skjeldal19 2000–01 9 December 2000 Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Estil / Skjeldal / Hetland20 2001–02 16 December 2001 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Estil / Jevne / Hetland21 10 March 2002 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Estil / Aukland / Skjeldal22 2002–03 24 November 2002 Kiruna, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Skjeldal / Aukland / Hetland23 8 December 2002 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Aukland / Bjonviken / Hetland24 19 January 2003 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Aukland / Estil / Hofstad25 26 January 2003 Oberhof, Germany 10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F World Cup 3rd Svartedal
Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.
Equipment Alsgaard used skis from Madshus, one of Alpina's partners, with Alpina boots and Rottefella bindings.
See also List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
References
Holmenkollen medalists – click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file Holmenkollen winners since 1892 – click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file