Tormod Knutsen
{{Short description|Norwegian skier (1932–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name =
| image = Tormod Knutsen 1964cr.jpg
| image_size = 245px
| caption = Knutsen at the 1964 Olympics
| alt = Man in skiing gear and number 25 on shirt being photographed
| birth_name =
| fullname =
| nationality =
| residence =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1932|01|07|df=y}}
| birth_place = Eidsvoll, Norway
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|02|23|1932|01|07|df=y}}
| death_place = Eidsvoll
| height =
| weight =
| country =
| sport = Nordic combined
| club = Eidsvold Værk SK
| retired = 1964
| nationals = 1959, 1960, 1963, 1964
| highestranking =
| pb =
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{NOR}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }}
{{MedalSilver |1960 Squaw Valley |Individual}}
{{MedalGold |1964 Innsbruck |Individual}}
}}
Tormod Kåre Knutsen (7 January 1932 – 23 February 2021) was a Norwegian Nordic combined skier, who won the Nordic combined event at the 1964 Winter Olympics, and came second at the 1960 Winter Olympics. He won four national championships, and in 1960, he received the Norwegian Holmenkollen Medal.
Sports career
File:Olga, Audun and Tormod Knutsen 1964.jpg
Knutsen started as a ski jumper, winning the national junior titles in 1949 and 1951. He failed to qualify for the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, after which he considered taking up Nordic combined skiing.{{cite news| url=https://www.nrk.no/sport/ol-vinnar-tormod-knutsen-er-dod-1.15331069| title=OL-vinnar Tormod Knutsen er død| language=no| work=NRK| date=24 February 2021| accessdate=25 February 2021}} Whilst completing military service, he met Nordic combined skiers Gunder Gundersen and Sverre Stenersen, who encouraged him to take up the event. Knutsen won a bronze medal in the Nordic combined event at the 1955 national championships. He was selected for the 1956 Winter Olympics as a substitute, and was included to the main team two days before the event due to an injury of Gunder Gundersen; Knutsen placed sixth. He was the third best placed Norwegian in the event, behind Stenersen and Arne Barhaugen.
In 1958, Knutsen won Nordic combined in the Holmenkollen Ski Festival;{{cite web |url=http://www.skiforeningen.no/content/download/9492/47574/file/vinnere.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224190249/http://www.skiforeningen.no/content/download/9492/47574/file/vinnere.pdf |title=Vinnere av Holmenkollrennene |website=skiforeningen.no | language=no |access-date=25 February 2021 }} he was the only Norwegian to win an event. That year, he also came 9th at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1958.{{cite news| url= https://www.is.fi/yhdistetty/art-2000007824659.html| title= Olympiavoittaja Tormod Knutsen on kuollut| language=fi| work=Ilta-Sanomat| date=24 February 2021| accessdate=25 February 2021}} He won the national titles in 1959 and 1960. In 1960, he also placed second in ski jumping at the national championships. He was a favourite for the Nordic combined event at the 1960 Winter Olympics, and finished second to Georg Thoma. After placing fourth at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1962, he won the national title in 1963 and 1964. Knutsen won a gold medal in the Nordic combined event at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria. He had been in second place, behind Thoma, after the ski jumping phase of the event.{{cite news| url= https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/03/archives/german-leading-nordic-combined-thoma-outscores-knutsen-at-the.html| title=GERMAN LEADING NORDIC COMBINED; Thoma Outscores Knutsen at the Halfway Mark| work=The New York Times| date=3 February 1964| accessdate=25 February 2021}} It was Norway's first gold medal of the Games.{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72032265/1964-olympics-nordic-combined-summary/| title=Norway Won| work=The Province| via=Newspapers.com| date=4 February 1964| page=8| accessdate=25 February 2021}} Later in the year, Knutsen finished sixth at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, and he retired at the end of the 1964 season.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200418000827/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/kn/tormod-knutsen-1.html Tormod Knutsen]. sports-reference.com In 1964, he wrote an autobiography I hopp og løype (In jumps and trails).{{cite news| url= https://www.sportsbibelen.com/no/norsk-ol-gullvinner-er-dod/| title=Norsk OL-gullvinner er død| language=no| work=Sports Bibelen| date=24 February 2021| accessdate=25 February 2021}}
Awards
Knutsen received the Holmenkollen Medal in 1960, shared with Helmut Recknagel, Sixten Jernberg and Sverre Stensheim.{{cite web |url=http://www.skiforeningen.no/content/download/9491/47571/file/Holmenkollmedaljen.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224190249/http://www.skiforeningen.no/content/download/9491/47571/file/Holmenkollmedaljen.pdf |title=Holmenkollmedaljen |website=skiforeningen.no | language=no |access-date=25 February 2021 }}
Personal life
Knutsen was born in Eidsvoll on 7 January 1932. He represented the club Eidsvold Værks Skiklub.{{cite web |url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/88070 |website=olympedia.org |title=Tormod Knutsen |access-date=25 February 2021}}
He died in Eidsvoll on 23 February 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eub.no/2021/nyheter/ol-helten-tormod-knutsen-er-dod/|title=OL-helten Tormod Knutsen er død|first=Thomas Hansen og Bjørn Inge Salberg|last=Rødfoss|date=24 February 2021|website=Eidsvoll Ullensaker Blad}} His death was announced by his son Audun Knutsen.{{cite news| url= https://www.tv2.no/sport/11977916/| title=OL-vinner Tormod Knutsen er død| language=no| work=TV2| date=23 February 2021| accessdate=25 February 2021}}
Nordic combined results
Results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS),{{cite web |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/athlete-biography.html?sectorcode=NK&competitorid=31207 |website=fis-ski.com |title=Tormod Knutsen |access-date=25 February 2021}} unless indicated otherwise.
=Olympic Games=
=World Championship=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Tormod Knutsen}}
- {{FIS Nordic combined skier|31207}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070224190249/http://www.skiforeningen.no/holmenkollen/holmenkollen_historikk Holmenkollen medalists] - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file {{in lang|no}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070224190249/http://www.skiforeningen.no/holmenkollen/holmenkollen_historikk Holmenkollen winners since 1892] - click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file {{in lang|no}}
- {{sports links}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions NK Individual}}
{{Holmenkollen medal}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knutsen, Tormod}}
Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 1956 Winter Olympics
Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Category:Nordic combined skiers at the 1964 Winter Olympics
Category:Holmenkollen medalists
Category:Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners
Category:Norwegian male Nordic combined skiers
Category:Olympic Nordic combined skiers for Norway
Category:Olympic medalists in Nordic combined
Category:Medalists at the 1960 Winter Olympics
Category:Medalists at the 1964 Winter Olympics
Category:Olympic gold medalists for Norway
Category:Olympic silver medalists for Norway