Gunde Svan
Gunde Svan in 2019
Country Sweden
Full nameGunde Anders Svan
Born (1962-01-12) 12 January 1962
Dala-Järna, Sweden
Height188 cm (6 ft 2 in) [1]
Spouse(s)Marie Svan
Ski clubDala-Järna IK
World Cup career
Seasons10 – (1982–1991)
Individual wins30
Team wins9
Indiv. podiums46
Team podiums14
Indiv. starts71
Team starts14
Overall titles5 – (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 medal – first place1984 Sarajevo15 km
Gold medal – first place1984 Sarajevo4 × 10 km relay
Gold medal – first place1988 Calgary50 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1988 Calgary4 × 10 km relay
Silver medal – second place1984 Sarajevo50 km
Bronze medal – third place1984  Sarajevo30 km
World Championships
Gold medal – first place1985 Seefeld30 km
Gold medal – first place1985 Seefeld50 km
Gold medal – first place1987 Oberstdorf4 × 10 km relay
Gold medal – first place1989 Lahti15 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1989 Lahti50 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place1989 Lahti4 × 10 km relay
Gold medal – first place1991 Val di Fiemme30 km classical
Silver medal – second place1991 Val di Fiemme15 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place1991 Val di Fiemme50 km freestyle
Silver medal – second place1991 Val di Fiemme4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place1985 Seefeld4 × 10 km relay
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place1982 Murau3 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place1980 Örnsköldsvik3 × 5 km relay
Silver medal – second place1981 Schonach3 × 5 km relay
Bronze medal – third place1981 Schonach15 km

Gunde Anders Svan (born 12 January 1962) is a Swedish former cross-country skier and auto racing driver. During his cross-country skiing career he won a total of four gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the Winter Olympics. Svan won a total of seven golds, three silvers, and one bronze at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Svan also won the 15 km once (1983) and the 50 km twice (1986, 1990) at the Holmenkollen ski festival. In 1984, he earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, and in 1985, he earned the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Anette Bøe and Per Bergerud). He is a board member of the International Ski Federation.

Biography

During his skiing career he became known for his dedication and attention to detail. For instance, he used a lighter alloy on the tips of his ski poles, saving four grams (0.14 oz). He won two golds (15 km and relay), one bronze (30 km) and one silver (50 km) at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, he won two golds for 50 km and relay. He also won the World championship gold six times and won the World cup five times.

As a competitor in rallycross he got one gold medal in the Swedish Championship and a bronze medal in the FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers (1995: Division 1 – Group N category; with a Toyota Celica GT-Four). One of the reasons for getting into another sport was that some people called him a natural skier while he himself maintained that it's just a matter of will and dedication, according to his famous tagline "nothing is impossible". He applied the same methods to his driving as his skiing and even built his own reaction-tester to practice for the rallycross eminently important starts. When his compatriot and teamboss, the late Christer Bohlin, was not able to fulfill his promise to upgrade his Toyota team for 1996 into the top ERC category (Division 2 by then), Svan quit and gave up rallycross.

After retiring from his athletic career he has worked as the host for some game shows such as the Swedish versions of American Gladiators and Fort Boyard along the swedish national lotery Bingolotto. He has played a seductive lady in the short movie En handelsresandes nöd, directed by rock group Svenne Rubins and starring Claes Månsson, Björn Skifs and Gert Klötzke. He has also appeared in numerous commercials including a famous commercial where he impersonated fellow skier Thomas Wassberg.

Svan resigned from his position as Chief of Cross-Country for Sweden on the week of 4 May 2009 after he was involved in its reorganization.

He participated in Let's Dance 2018 broadcast on TV4 where he finished third together with Jeanette Carlsson.

He retired to his 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) forest farm, where he worked with his son, Ferry Svan, and now supports his children's careers.[2]

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[3]

Olympic Games

  • 6 medals – (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
 Year   Age   15 km   30 km   50 km   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
198422GoldBronzeSilverGold
1988261410GoldGold

World Championships

  • 11 medals – (7 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
 Year   Age   10 km   15 km 
 classical 		  15 km  
 freestyle 		  30 km   50 km   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
198220—13————
198523—5—GoldGoldBronze
198725———7—Gold
198927—6Gold—GoldGold
199129——SilverGoldSilverSilver

World Cup

Season titles

  • 5 titles – (5 overall)
Season
Discipline
1984Overall
1985Overall
1986Overall
1988Overall
1989Overall

Season standings

 Season   Age  Overall
19822057
1983212nd place, silver medalist(s)
1984221st place, gold medalist(s)
1985231st place, gold medalist(s)
1986241st place, gold medalist(s)
1987253rd place, bronze medalist(s)
1988261st place, gold medalist(s)
1989271st place, gold medalist(s)
1990282nd place, silver medalist(s)
1991298

Individual podiums

  • 30 victories
  • 46 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
11982–8312 March 1983Norway Oslo, Norway50 km IndividualWorld Cup3rd
219 March 1983United States Anchorage, United States15 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
327 March 1983Canada Labrador City, Canada30 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
41983–8416 December 1983Austria Ramsau, Austria30 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
510 February 1984Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sarajevo, Yugoslavia30 km IndividualOlympic Games[1]3rd
613 February 198415 km IndividualOlympic Games[1]1st
719 February 198450 km IndividualOlympic Games[1]2nd
825 February 1984Sweden Falun, Sweden30 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
92 March 1984Finland Lahti, Finland15 km IndividualWorld Cup3rd
1010 March 1984Norway Oslo, Norway50 km IndividualWorld Cup3rd
1117 March 1984United States Fairbanks, United States15 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
121984–859 December 1984Italy Cogne, Italy15 km IndividualWorld Cup3rd
1318 January 1985Austria Seefeld, Austria30 km IndividualWorld Championships[1]1st
1427 January 198550 km IndividualWorld Championships[1]1st
1516 February 1985Bulgaria Aleko, Bulgaria15 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
1623 February 1985Soviet Union Syktyvkar, Soviet Union15 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
179 March 1985Sweden Falun, Sweden30 km IndividualWorld Cup1st
1814 March 1985Norway Oslo, Norway15 km IndividualWorld Cup2nd
191985–868 December 1985Canada Labrador City, Canada15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
2014 December 1985United States Biwabik, United States30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
2111 January 1986France La Bresse, France30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
2215 January 1986Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bohinj, Yugoslavia5 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
2314 February 1986Germany Oberstdorf, West Germany50 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
2423 February 1986Soviet Union Kavgolovo, Soviet Union15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
252 March 1986Finland Lahti, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
2614 March 1986Norway Oslo, Norway50 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
271986–8710 December 1986Austria Ramsau, Austria15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
2813 December 1986Italy Cogne, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
291987–8812 December 1987France La Clusaz, France15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
3015 December 1987Italy Kastelruth, Italy30 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
3119 December 1987Switzerland Davos, Switzerland15 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
3227 February 1988Canada Calgary, Canada50 km Individual FOlympic Games[1]1st
331988–8910 December 1988Austria Ramsau, Austria15 km Individual FWorld Cup2nd
3414 December 1988Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bohinj, Yugoslavia30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
3517 December 1988Italy Val di Sole, Italy15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
3613 January 1989Czechoslovak Socialist Republic Nové Město, Czechoslovakia15 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
3715 January 198930 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
3820 February 1989Finland Lahti, Finland15 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
3926 February 198950 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]1st
401989–9013 January 1990Soviet Union Moscow, Soviet Union30 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
4121 February 1990Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy30 km Individual CWorld Cup1st
426 March 1990Norway Trondheim, Norway15 km Individual CWorld Cup2nd
4317 March 1990Norway Vang, Norway50 km Individual FWorld Cup1st
441990–917 February 1991Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy30 km Individual CWorld Championships[1]1st
459 February 199115 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]2nd
4617 February 199150 km Individual FWorld Championships[1]2nd

Team podiums

  • 9 victories
  • 14 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammates
11983–8416 February 1984Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sarajevo, Yugoslavia4 × 10 km RelayOlympic Games[1]1stWassberg / Kohlberg / Ottosson
225 February 1984Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km RelayWorld Cup1stÖstlund / Wassberg / Ottosson
3 1984–85 24 January 1985Austria Seefeld, Austria4 × 10 km RelayWorld Championships[1]3rdÖstlund / Wassberg / Eriksson
410 March 1985Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km RelayWorld Cup2ndÖstlund / Wassberg / Mogren
517 March 1985Norway Oslo, Norway4 × 10 km RelayWorld Cup1stEriksson / Danielsson / Wassberg
61985–869 March 1986Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup1stÖstlund / Eriksson / Mogren
713 March 1986Norway Oslo, Norway4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup1stÖstlund / Eriksson / Mogren
81986–8717 February 1987West Germany Oberstdorf, West Germany4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Championships[1]1stÖstlund / Wassberg / Mogren
91987–8824 February 1988Canada Calgary, Canada4 × 10 km Relay FOlympic Games[1]1stOttosson / Wassberg / Mogren
1013 March 1988Sweden Falun, Sweden4 × 10 km Relay FWorld Cup1stOttosson / Mogren / Majbäck
1117 March 1988Norway Oslo, Norway4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup2ndOttosson / Mogren / Majbäck
121988–8924 February 1989Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]1stMajbäck / Håland / Mogren
13 1990–91 15 February 1991Italy Val di Fiemme, Italy4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Championships[1]2ndEriksson / Majbäck / Mogren
141 March 1991Finland Lahti, Finland4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup2ndEriksson / Mogren / Forsberg

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

Racing record

Complete FIA European Rallycross Championship results

Division 1

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Position Points
1994 Christer Bohlin Motorsport Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD AUT
5		 POR
6		 FRA
3		 IRE
(8)		 GBR
5		 SWE
7		 FIN
2		 BEL
(7)		 NED
(7)		 NOR
(8)		 GER
3		 5th 92
1995 Christer Bohlin Motorsport Toyota Celica GT-Four AUT
3		 POR
(5)		 FRA
1		 SWE
2		 GBR
3		 IRE
(7)		 BEL
3		 NED
3		 NOR
(6)		 FIN
2		 CZE
2		 GER
(4)		 3rd 131

References

  1. ↑ "Anthropometric Measurements of Olympic Cross-Country Skiers".
  2. ↑ "Cross-country skiing legend Gunde Svan: "Forestry work is a nice counterbalance to TV work"". Valtra. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  3. ↑ "SVAN Gunde". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
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