Thorleif Haug

Summary

Thorleif Haug (28 September 1894 – 12 December 1934) was a Norwegian skier who competed in nordic combined and cross-country.[1] At the 1924 Olympics he won all three Nordic skiing events (18 km, 50 km and combined). He was also awarded the bronze medal in ski jumping, but 50 years later a mistake was found in calculation of scores, Haug was demoted to fourth place, and his daughter presented her father's medal to Anders Haugen.[2]

Thorleif Haug
Thorleif Haug at the 1924 Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France
Personal information
Born(1894-09-28)28 September 1894
Vivelstad, Lier, Norway
Died12 December 1934(1934-12-12) (aged 40)
Drammen, Norway
Sport
SportNordic skiing
ClubDrafn, Drammen
Medal record
Representing  Norway
Men's cross-country skiing
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1924 Chamonix 18 km
Gold medal – first place 1924 Chamonix 50 km
Men's nordic combined
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1924 Chamonix Individual
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 1926 Lahti Individual

Biography edit

Thorleif Haug was born in Vivelstad, a narrow valley between the Lier Lier, Drammen in Buskerud county, Norway. He was raised on the Årkvisla farm.[3]

Dominating Nordic combined and cross-country skiing events during the 1920s, he won three gold medals in the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix and was fourth in ski jumping. In addition, he won the 50 kilometres cross-country event at the Holmenkollen ski festival a record six times (1918–1921, 1923–1924) and the Nordic combined three times (1919–21). Haug shared the Holmenkollen medal in 1919 with fellow Norwegian Otto Aasen. Haug also won a silver in the Nordic combined at the 1926 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Lahti. Haug represented his club, SBK Drafn, Drammen.

Haug worked as a plumber after his sporting career, and died of pneumonia in 1934, 40 years old.[4]

Legacy edit

In 1946, a statue of Thorleif Haug by Norwegian sculptor Per Palle Storm was erected in Drammen. A road in the Voksenkollen area in Oslo was named after Haug during 1952. Since 1966, his skiing club has held a Memorial Race in his name (Thorleif Haugs Minneløp) as a part of the Thorleif Haug Ski Festival (Thorleif Haug Skifestival). The race runs from Geithus to Drammen, encompassing Haug's home at Årkvisla. Drammen has an illuminated track along Bragernesåsen named Thorleif Haug's way. Thorleif Haug Lodge was officially established 21 January 1984, as the fifth lodge of the Sons of Norway in Norway.[5][6]

Cross-country skiing results edit

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[7]

Olympic Games edit

  • 2 medals – (2 gold)
 Year   Age   18 km   50 km 
1924 29 Gold Gold

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Thorleif Haug (Rolf Bryhn, Store norske leksikon)". snl.no.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Thorleif Haug". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020.
  3. ^ Thorleif Haug Per Jorsett. Norsk biografisk leksikon
  4. ^ Jorsett, Per. "Thorleif Haug" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  5. ^ Thorleif Haug Lodge (Sons of Norway) Archived 9 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Thorleif Haug biography (nevasport.com) Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "HAUG Torleif". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 9 January 2020.

External links edit