Sixten Jernberg

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Sixten Jernberg
Sixten Jernberg.jpg
Jernberg in 1958
Full name Edy Sixten Jernberg
Born (1929-02-06)6 February 1929
Lima, Dalarna, Sweden
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Mora, Dalarna, Sweden
Height 177 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Ski club Lima IF

Edy Sixten Jernberg (6 February 1929 – 14 July 2012) was a Swedish cross-country skier and one of the most successful cross-country skiers of all time.[1][2] Between 1952 and 1964 he took part in 363 ski races, finishing within the podium in 263 and winning 134 of them; during this period he won four world titles and nine Olympic medals. In 12 starts over three consecutive Winter Games he never finished worse than fifth place, and between 1955 and 1960, he won 86 out of 161 competitions.[3][4]

Jernberg was a blacksmith and a lumberjack before beginning his career as a cross-country skier.[3] He specialized in the longer distances, with four of his eight gold medals coming over 50 km, one over 30 km and three in 4×10 km. He also won Vasaloppet twice, 1955 and 1960.[5] He won the 15 km at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 1954.

At one competition, Jernberg had a fever and coughed up blood, but still finished the 50 km event.[6] Gunde Svan said: "It was almost like [Sixten] didn't like his own body and tried to punish it in different ways."[7]

For his cross-country skiing successes, Jernberg was awarded the Holmenkollen medal in 1960 (shared with Helmut Recknagel, Sverre Stensheim and Tormod Knutsen). He was also awarded the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1956 (shared with pentathlete Lars Hall).[5][4]

Jernberg retired after the Olympic Winter Games of 1964. In 1965, the International Olympic Committee awarded Jernberg the Mohammed Taher Trophy for his contributions to Nordic skiing.[3] He died of cancer at the age of 83. He was survived by son Edy.[8] His nephew Ingemar became an Olympic pole vaulter.[3]

Results in major competitions

Competition Year Distance Place
Winter Olympics
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo
15 km
2nd
30 km
2nd
50 km
1st
4×10 km
3rd
1960 Squaw Valley
15 km
2nd
30 km
1st
50 km
5
4×10 km
4
1964 Innsbruck
15 km
3rd
30 km
5
50 km
1st
4×10 km
1st
World Championships
1954 Falun
30 km
4
4×10 km
3rd
1958 Lahti
15 km
4
30 km
3rd
50 km
1st
4×10 km
1st
1962 Zakopane
30 km
10
50 km
1st
4×10 km
1st

See also

References

  1. Sixten Jernberg. Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Sixten Jernberg. Swedish Olympic Committee
  5. 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ”Feber och hostade blod, jag körde fem mil ändå” | Sixten Jernberg om uppväxten, skidåkningen och sin starka vilja. Aftonbladet.se (22 November 2010). Retrieved on 2016-01-26.
  7. Från Sixten till Kalla (From Sixten to Kalla), a documentary film about Swedish ski history during the last 100 years by Jens Lind, Sveriges Television, 2008.
  8. Sixten Jernberg, Cross-Country Skiing Champion, Dies at 83. AP via New York Times (16 July 2012)

External links

Records
Preceded by
Himself
Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
25 February 1988 – 17 February 1992
With: Raisa Smetanina
Succeeded by
Soviet Union Raisa Smetanina
Preceded by Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
5 February 1964 – 25 February 1988
Succeeded by
Himself with Soviet Union Raisa Smetanina
Preceded by Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
2 February 1964 – 5 February 1964
With: Clas Thunberg
Ivar Ballangrud
Succeeded by
Himself
Awards
Preceded by Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal
with Lars Hall

1956
Succeeded by
Dan Waern