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Gunde Svan

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Gunde Svan
Gunde Svan in 2019
Full nameAnders Gunde Svan
Born (1962-01-12) 12 January 1962 (age 62)
Dala-Järna, Sweden
Ski clubDala-Järna IK
World Cup career
Seasons1982-1991
Podiums46
Wins30
Discipline titles5 (1983/84, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1987/88, 1988/89)
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing  Sweden
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Sarajevo 15 km
Gold medal – first place 1984 Sarajevo 4 x 10 km
Gold medal – first place 1988 Calgary 50 km
Gold medal – first place 1988 Calgary 4 x 10 km
Silver medal – second place 1984 Sarajevo 50 km
Bronze medal – third place 1984 Sarajevo 30 km
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1985 Seefeld 30 km
Gold medal – first place 1985 Seefeld 50 km
Gold medal – first place 1987 Oberstdorf 4 x 10 km
Gold medal – first place 1989 Lahti 15 km freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1989 Lahti 50 km
Gold medal – first place 1989 Lahti 4 x 10 km
Gold medal – first place 1991 Val di Fiemme 30 km
Silver medal – second place 1991 Val di Fiemme 15 km
Silver medal – second place 1991 Val di Fiemme 50 km
Silver medal – second place 1991 Val di Fiemme 4 x 10 km
Bronze medal – third place 1985 Seefeld 4 x 10 km
Rallycross
European Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1995 ERX
Updated on
FIA European Rallycross Championship
Years active1994–1995
Former teamsChrister Bohlin Motorsport
Starts23
Wins1
Podiums11
Best finish3rd in 1995 (Division 1)
.

Gunde Svan (born 12 January 1962 in Dala-Järna, Dalarna County) is a former Swedish 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 (15 km - 1989; 30 km and 4 x 10 km - 1985, 1991; 50 km - 1985, 1989; and 4 x 10 km - 1987), three silvers (15 km, 50 km, 4 x 10 km (all 1991)), and one bronze (4 x 10 km - 1985) 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 currently active as a board member of the International Ski Federation.

Biography

During his skiing career he became known for his dedication and attention to details. For instance he used a lighter alloy on the tips of his ski poles saving four grams. 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 the for 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 version of American Gladiators, Fort Boyard and Bingolotto. He has played a seductive lady in the short movie En handelsresandes nöd, directed by Svenne Rubin 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.

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

Media related to Gunde Svan at Wikimedia Commons

Preceded by Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal
1984 		Succeeded by
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