Kine Beate Bjørnås (born 12 May 1980) is a Norwegian former cross-country skier who won a gold medal at the 2005 .
Personal life Bjørnås is from Meråker Municipality. As a youngster, Bjørnås travelled to Sør-Trøndelag for skiing, as there were too few competitive skiers in Nord-Trøndelag. There she became friends with Marit Bjørgen. She has a bachelor's degree in sports.
Career
Bjørnås joined the Norwegian junior team for the 2001–02 skiing season. Her best result that season was second in the 5 km classical event in Dombås. As a junior, she was described as "one of the most promising Norwegian skiers". She was promoted to the senior team for the 2003 season, but missed the entire season due to a cruciate ligament injury. In the 2003–04 season, her best result was second in the 10 km classical event in Bardufoss.
During the 2004–05 FIS Cross-Country World Cup, Bjørnås and fellow Norwegians Vibeke Skofterud, Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen, and Marit Bjørgen won the 4x5km relay race in Gällivare, Sweden. In the same season, the same four came third in the 4 × 5 km relay in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Bjørnås, Pedersen, Kristin Mürer Stemland, and Bjørgen also came second in the 4 × 5 km relay in Falun, Sweden. In 2005, she won the 30 km classical event at the . She came 27th in the Women's sprint event at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005. Her best individual result at the FIS Cross-Country World Cup was seventh place in the 2006 15 km double staggered start race in Sapporo, Japan.
Bjørnås retired from the sport in 2008, choosing to become a skiing coach in Nord-Trøndelag. She has coached double Olympic champion Petter Northug. The Kinetest, a women's ski trail at the Grovatesten ski field in Meråker Municipality, is named after Bjørnås; the men's trail is slightly longer and is called the Frodetest after Frode Estil.
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
World Championships Year Age 10 km individual 15 km skiathlon 30 km mass start Sprint 4 × 5 km relay Team sprint 2005 24 25 — 30 27 ——
World Cup Season standings Season Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standingsOverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprintTour deSkiWorld CupFinal 2000 19 — 2001 20 83 2002 21 65 57 2004 23 39 30 31 2005 24 27 19 38 2006 25 51 35 2007 26 57 17 2008 27 — — —
Team podiums
1 victory – (1 ) 3 podiums – (3 )
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates1 2004–05 24 November 2004 Gällivare, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Skofterud / Pedersen / Bjørgen2 12 December 2004 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Skofterud / Pedersen / Bjørgen3 20 March 2005 Falun, Sweden 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Pedersen / Stemland / Bjørgen
References