Marit Bjørgen

Marit Bjørgen ( born March 21, 1980 in Trondheim ) is a Norwegian cross country skier who has won six Olympic gold medals.

Career

Since December 1999, Bjørgen takes part in the Cross Country World Cup. Over three years, they sought to connect with the world leaders and placed on the back of the fleet. At the Olympic Winter Games 2002, she was inducted into the Norwegian season and reached the second place. On 26 October 2002, she won her first race, the sprint in Dusseldorf.

Your first gold medal won Bjørgen at the 2003 World Championships in the sprint race it came up silver in the relay. Also in 2003, she decided for the first time the Sprint Cup for themselves. She repeated this success in the next three years. In November 2004, she first won a race over a longer distance, a 10- kilometer race in Gällivare. At the World Championships 2005, she was the most successful athlete at all; she became world champion in the team sprint (together with Hilde G. Pedersen ), about 30 km away and with the season; two more medals, silver and bronze, respectively, she won the pursuit race and over 10 km. In addition Bjørgen was the end of the 2003/2004 season in first place in the World Cup overall standings.

In 2005 she won the election to Norway's Aftenposten Athlete of the Year as well as the gold medal.

Prior to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games Bjørgen was one of the most frequently mentioned favorites, but she could not meet the high expectations. She was suffering from the after-effects of bronchitis and had to abandon the first race with stomach problems. Although she won the silver medal in the 10 - kilometer run, but in the two sprint events remained from the success. The Norwegian season could win a medal for the first time since 1988.

A few weeks later, on March 4, 2006, Bjørgen rehabilitated with the victory of the Vasaloppet over 45 km from Oxberg to Mora. In addition, she was again the overall World Cup winner. At the 2007 World Championships she won the bronze medal in the team sprint ( with Astrid Jacobsen ) and in the relay, respectively.

At the Olympic Winter Games 2010 Björgen won the sprint in a classic style her first Olympic gold medal and was 10 km free style parties in the double tracking ( Skiathlon ) she won her second gold medal. A third gold she won in the relay competition. With the Olympic victories Bjørgen has her compatriot Bente Skari outbid and was also successful cross-country skier of the Games. Also in 2010, received Bjørgen the Holmenkollen medal and the Fearnleys olympiske ærespris.

In the Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in Oslo Bjørgen won the sprint, the pursuit race, the 10km classic and the 4x5 km relay.

In the season 2011/12 they won for the third time overall World Cup.

In the winter of 2012/13 they had to due to heart rhythm disturbances pause a few weeks and could not therefore participate in the Tour de Ski.

In the Nordic World Ski Championships 2013 in Val di Fiemme, she won four gold medals and one silver.

At the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014, she won the same competition in the opener in Skiathlon and took the title defense her fourth Olympic victory, their fifth in the team sprint and with the victory in the 30 km freestyle her sixth Olympic victory. Due to their success in Sochi they outperformed Lyubov Egorova as successful Winter Olympics ever.

Achievements

Olympic Winter Games

• 2002 Salt Lake City: silver team
• Torino 2006: Silver over 10 km
• Vancouver 2010: Classic Bronze 10 km free style, gold in the relay, gold in the sprint gold in the double tracking, silver over 30 km
• Sochi 2014: Gold in Skiathlon, gold in the team sprint, gold over 30 km freestyle

World Championships

• 2003 in Val di Fiemme: Gold in the individual sprint, silver team
• 2005 in Oberstdorf: gold in the team sprint, 30 km of gold, gold in the relay, silver in the pursuit race, bronze over 10 km
• 2007 in Sapporo: bronze in the team sprint, bronze team
• 2011 in Oslo: gold in the sprint gold Pursuit, gold in the 10 km classic style, gold in the 4x5 km relay
• 2013 in Val di Fiemme: gold in the individual sprint gold in Skiathlon, gold in the relay, gold in the 30 km classic style, silver 10 km free style

World Cup

• World Cup overall champion in 2005, 2006, 2012
• Winner of the Sprint Cup in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
• Winner of World Cup 2005 Distance, 2012

World Cup wins

Tour de Ski

• 2006/ 07: 2nd place overall, 1 stage win
• 2011/12: 2nd place overall, four stage wins