Assar Rönnlund
Swedish cross-country skier / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bernt Assar Rönnlund (3 September 1935 – 5 January 2011)[1] was a Swedish cross-country skier. Rönnlund's biggest success was at the 1962 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Zakopane where he won two gold medals (15 km and 4 × 10 km) and a silver (50 km). As a result, he earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal that year for his championship successes. Rönnlund was the anchorman of the Swedish 4 × 10 km relay team at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, bringing the team from fourth place to victory. Rönnlund also won the Vasaloppet in 1967[2] and the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival twice (1962 and 1968). For his cross-country skiing successes, Rönnlund was awarded the Holmenkollen Medal in 1968 (shared with King Olav V, Gjermund Eggen and Bjørn Wirkola).
Assar Rönnlund | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Bernt Assar Rönnlund | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1935-09-03)3 September 1935 Sävar, Västerbotten, Sweden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 5 January 2011(2011-01-05) (aged 75) Umeå, Västerbotten, Sweden | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ski club | IFK Umeå | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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After retiring from active competition he was hired in 1972 by The Swedish Radio Corporation as a cross-country skiing commentator. He gained nationwide popularity working in a duo with Åke Strömmer.[3] Rönnlund retired from broadcasting after the 2003 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.[1]
Rönnlund was married to Inga-Britt Rönnlund and they had three sons, Michael, Lars and Tommy Rönnlund. Later he married Toini Gustafsson, a 1967 Holmenkollen medalist; they had two children together, plus one from the previous marriage of Gustafsson.[4] They became the second husband-wife team to earn this honor. They are also the only husband-wife team to ever win the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal with Gustafsson earning the honor in 1968.
Rönnlund died on 5 January 2011 after a period of illness.[1]