Egil Gjelland

{{Short description|Norwegian biathlete (born 1973)}}

{{Infobox biathlete

| name = Egil Gjelland

| image = Egil Gjelland – Biathlon 2023 Nove Mesto 7037.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| fullname = Egil Gjelland

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1973|11|12}}

| birth_place = Voss, Hordaland, Norway

| death_date =

| death_place =

| residence =

| occupation =

| height = {{height|m=1.86|precision=0}}

| weight =

| website =

| disciplines = Biathlon

| club = Voss Skiskyttarlag

| skis =

| rifle =

| wcdebut = 7 December 1995

| retired =

| olympicteams = 2 (1998, 2002)

| olympicmedals = 2

| olympicgolds = 1

| worldsteams = 9 (1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)

| worldsmedals = 6

| worldsgolds = 2

| wcseasons = 12 (1995/96–2006/07)

| wcraces =

| wcraceswithrelays =

| wcwins = 1

| wcrelayswins = 16

| wcpodiums = 7

| wcrelayspodiums = 47

| wcoveralls =

| wctitles =

| show-medals =

| updated =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalSport|Men's biathlon}}

{{MedalCountry|{{NOR}}}}

{{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}}

{{MedalGold|2002 Salt Lake City|4 × 7.5 km relay}}

{{MedalSilver|1998 Nagano|4 × 7.5 km relay}}

{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}

{{MedalGold|1998 Hochfilzen|Team event}}

{{MedalGold|2005 Hochfilzen|4 × 7.5 km relay}}

{{MedalSilver|1997 Brezno-Osrblie|4 × 7.5 km relay}}

{{MedalSilver|2000 Lahti|4 × 7.5 km relay}}

{{MedalSilver|2004 Oberhof|4 × 7.5 km relay}}

{{MedalBronze|2001 Pokljuka|4 × 7.5 km relay}}

}}

Egil Gjelland (born 12 November 1973) is a Norwegian former biathlete. He is olympic champion in the biathlon relay from the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Egil Gjelland grew up in Voss, the home of many world class biathletes, and started doing biathlon at the age of 15. He first entered the national team in 1996.

Gjelland's strength is in shooting. His greatest triumphs have come on Norway's relay team, where he was a regular feature for several years, thanks to his ability to keep his cool and deliver faultless shooting. In the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, he won the gold medal on the relay, together with Ole Einar Bjørndalen, Halvard Hanevold and Frode Andresen. In the Biathlon World Championship 2005 in Hochfilzen, Gjelland again helped win the relay, Norway's first relay-gold in the world championships for 38 years. He won one race in the Biathlon World Cup, the pursuit in Östersund on 17 December 2004.

Egil Gjelland is a carpenter by trade. He married fellow biathlete Ann-Elen Skjelbreid in 2002. They have one daughter, Kristi (b. 2004). They live on her home farm, Skjelbreid, in Fusa in western Norway.

Since retiring from competition Gjelland has worked as a coach with the Norwegian biathlon team, and he was appointed as head coach for the Norwegian men's biathlon squad ahead of the 2014–15 season, having previously performed the equivalent role for the Norwegian women's team.{{cite web |url=http://www4.biathlonworld.com/en/press_releases.html/do/detail?presse=2213 |title=Coaching Changes 2: Norway, Russia, Austria, Finland |author= |date=16 April 2014 |website=International Biathlon Union |access-date=12 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216141046/http://www4.biathlonworld.com/en/press_releases.html/do/detail?presse=2213 |archive-date=16 December 2014 }} In 2018 he was announced as head coach of the Czech women's biathlon team, becoming the first foreign coach to be employed by the Czech Biathlon Association alongside countryman and assistant coach to the men's team Anders Magnus Bratli.{{cite web |url=https://www.radio.cz/en/section/news/norwegian-egil-gjelland-appointed-biathlon-head-trainer |title=Norwegian Egil Gjelland Appointed Biathlon Head Trainer |last=Johnstone |first=Chris |date=5 June 2018 |website=radio.cz|access-date=18 March 2020}}{{cite web |url=https://www.biathlonworld.com/news/detail/coaching-carousel-gala-evening-and-new-stadium-in-czech-republic |title=Coaching Carousel, Gala Evening, and New Stadium in Czech Republic |author= |date=7 June 2018 |website=International Biathlon Union|access-date=18 March 2020}}