Irvin B. Servold (born 14 November 1932) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

former

Nordic combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in ...

and cross-country skier who competed in the

1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( or ), were a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which ...

and in the

1960 Winter Olympics The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Valley ...

Biography

Irvin Servold was born in 1932 in

Camrose, Alberta Camrose ( ) is a city in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Camrose County. Located along Alberta Highway 13, Highway 13 it had its beginnings as a railroad hub. History The area around Camrose was first settled by Europeans around ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

. He dedicated much of his life to skiing, holding various roles in organizations such as the Canadian Olympic Association (COA), the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Association of Nordic Ski Instructors. He played a key role in the Canadian Ski Association (CSA), leading the Jumping and Cross Country Committees for the Alberta Division. On a national level, he was part of the

Nordic Combined Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and ski jumping. The Nordic combined at the Winter Olympics has been held since the first 1924 Winter Olympics, Winter Olympics in ...

and Cross Country Program Committee and served as a technical advisor for the Cross Country and Jumping Committee. Additionally, he was the Chief of Competition for several national championships in cross country, jumping, and Nordic Combined and took part in judging multiple national ski events, including those in

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Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. He also served as a technical delegate for various national competitions and the Canada Winter Games. In his work with the

Canadian Olympic Committee The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC; ), also known as Team Canada, is a private nonprofit organization that represents Canada at the International Olympic Committee. It is also a member of the Pan American Sports Organization. History Cana ...

, he assisted in selecting sites for the

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...

and contributed to the planning for the Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo, Norway. As a coach, he instructed at national coaching courses and worked with Alberta teams in cross country and jumping, as well as national teams participating in events like the Myasma Ski Games in

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

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, and the Pre-Olympic Nordic competitions in

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

.https://skimuseum.ca/honoured-members/irvin-servold/ Irvin had a distinguished competitive career, representing Canada in the Nordic team at the 1956 Winter Olympics in

Cortina d’Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo (; , ; historical ) sometimes abbreviated to simply Cortina, is a town and ''comune'' in the heart of the southern (Dolomites, Dolomitic) Alps in the province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the ...

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, where he competed in the Individual Men’s Nordic Combined event. Four years later, he participated in the Squaw Valley Olympics in 1960, racing in the 15 km and 30 km Classic events, along with the Nordic Combined. He began competing at just 7 years old and quickly emerged as a champion in Alberta for cross country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic Combined. He also won national championships in Nordic Combined in 1955 and again in 1972. In college competition, he earned 3rd place in ski jumping in 1958 and took 1st place in cross country skiing three times in 1958, 1959, and 1961. He also participated in the Nordic Combined and USA cross country relay events. His significant contributions to sports led to his induction into the

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, dedicated to the preservation and history of sports within the province. It was created in 1957 by the Alberta Amateur Athletic Union (AAAU). The museum w ...

in 1980.

Personal life

Irvin's brother,

Clarence Servold Clarence Lloyd Servold (28 March 1927 – 4 February 2019) was a Canadian cross-country skier who competed in the 1956 Winter Olympics and in the 1960 Winter Olympics. He was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame in 1984. Biography So ...

, was also a Canadian cross-country skier.

References

1932 births Living people Canadian male cross-country skiers Olympic cross-country skiers for Canada Nordic combined skiers at the 1956 Winter Olympics Nordic combined skiers at the 1960 Winter Olympics Cross-country skiers at the 1960 Winter Olympics 20th-century Canadian sportsmen {{Canada-crosscountry-skiing-bio-stub