Ole Imerslun Reistad (26 June 1898 – 22 December 1949) was a Norwegian military officer and accomplished sports person. He competed at the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (; ; ), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (; ; ) and commonly known as Antwerp 1920 (; Dutch language, Dutch and German language, German: ''Antwerpen 1920''), were an international multi-sport event held i ...

modern pentathlon The modern pentathlon is an Summer Olympics, Olympic multisport that consists of five events: fencing (one-touch épée followed by direct elimination), freestyle swimming, obstacle course racing, Laser pistol (sport), laser pistol shooting, and ...

, and also became Norwegian champion in the sport. He competed in

military patrol Military patrol is a team winter sport in which athletes compete in cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Formerly ski mountaineering was also part of the sport. It is usually contested between countries or milit ...

at the

1928 Winter Olympics The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games (; ; ; ) and commonly known as St. Moritz 1928 (; ), were an international winter multi-sport event that was celebrated from 11 to 19 February 1928 in St. Moritz, Swit ...

, winning the competition. During World War II he was leader of the training camp Little Norway in Canada.

Personal life

Reistad was born in Aker; the son of Christen Reistad and Gudborg Imerslun. He was married to Bergljot Huseby from 1927. He died in Oslo in 1949, only 51 years old. He is the great grandfather of Norwegian handball player Henny Reistad.

Sports career

In the

pentathlon A pentathlon is a contest featuring five events. The name is derived from Greek language, Greek: combining the words ''pente'' (five) and -''athlon'' (competition) (). The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Anci ...

he finished fourteenth at the

and became Norwegian champion in 1922. He also participated in the 1928 Olympic Winter Games in

St. Moritz St. Moritz ( , , ; ; ; ; ) is a high Alpine resort town in the Engadine in Switzerland, at an elevation of about above sea level. It is Upper Engadine's major town and a municipality in the administrative region of Maloja in the Swiss ...

, Switzerland, in the demonstration event

. He was also the Norwegian flag bearer at the opening ceremony. In 1922, he was awarded the prestigious Norwegian sports award - the ''

Egebergs Ærespris The Egebergs Ærespris ("Honorary Prize of Egeberg") is a prize awarded to Norway, Norwegian athletes who excel in more than one sport. The prize was created by Ferdinand Julian Egeberg, and consists of a bronze statuette modelled by sculptor Magnu ...

'' - for achievements in multiple sports.

Military career

During the campaign following

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

's assault on Norway on 9 April 1940, Reistad was an air unit commander and led the operations from Bardufoss Air Station against the German forces. Shortly before his death, he was appointed a Commander with Star of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav. Just be ...

Literature

* Ole Reistad, "The Spirit of Little Norway" (Biography), Edvard Omholt-Jensen.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reistad, Ole 1898 births 1949 deaths Athletes (track and field) at the 1920 Summer Olympics Military patrol competitors at the 1928 Winter Olympics Norwegian pentathletes Norwegian Army Air Service personnel of World War II Norwegian Army personnel Norwegian military patrol (sport) runners Olympic athletes for Norway Olympic biathletes for Norway Norwegian male athletes