Tormod Kåre Knutsen (7 January 1932 – 23 February 2021) was a Norwegian

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 ...

skier, who won the Nordic combined event at the

1964 Winter Olympics The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Innsbruck 1964 (), were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964. The city was a ...

, and came second at 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 ...

. He won four national championships, and in 1960, he received the Norwegian Holmenkollen Medal.

Sports career

Knutsen started as a ski jumper, winning the national junior titles in 1949 and 1951. He failed to qualify for the

1952 Winter Olympics The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Oslo 1952, were a winter multi-sport event held from 14 to 25 February 1952 in Oslo, the capital of Norway. Discussions about Oslo hosting ...

in Oslo, after which he considered taking up

skiing. Whilst completing

military service Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer military, volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Few nations, such ...

, he met Nordic combined skiers Gunder Gundersen and Sverre Stenersen, who encouraged him to take up the event. Knutsen won a bronze medal in the Nordic combined event at the 1955 national championships. He was selected for 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 ...

as a substitute, and was included to the main team two days before the event due to an injury of Gunder Gundersen; Knutsen placed sixth. He was the third best placed Norwegian in the event, behind Stenersen and Arne Barhaugen. In 1958, Knutsen won Nordic combined in the

Holmenkollen Ski Festival The Holmenkollen Ski Festival ( or ) is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. History It takes place in March and has been arranged every ...

; he was the only Norwegian to win an event. That year, he also came 9th at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1958. He won the national titles in 1959 and 1960. In 1960, he also placed second in ski jumping at the national championships. He was a favourite for the Nordic combined event at the

, and finished second to Georg Thoma. After placing fourth at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1962, he won the national title in 1963 and 1964. Knutsen won a gold medal in the Nordic combined event at the

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

, Austria. He had been in second place, behind Thoma, after the ski jumping phase of the event. It was Norway's first gold medal of the Games. Later in the year, Knutsen finished sixth at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival, and he retired at the end of the 1964 season.Tormod Knutsen
sports-reference.com In 1964, he wrote an

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

''I hopp og løype'' (''In jumps and trails'').

Awards

Knutsen received the Holmenkollen Medal in 1960, shared with Helmut Recknagel, Sixten Jernberg and Sverre Stensheim.

Personal life

Knutsen was born in

Eidsvoll Eidsvoll (; sometimes written as ''Eidsvold'') is a Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Romerike Districts of Norway, traditional region. The administrative centre of the munic ...

on 7 January 1932. He represented the club Eidsvold Værks Skiklub. He died in Eidsvoll on 23 February 2021. His death was announced by his son Audun Knutsen.

Nordic combined results

Results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS), unless indicated otherwise.

Olympic Games

World Championship

References

External links

*
Holmenkollen medalists
- click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file
Holmenkollen winners since 1892
- click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file * {{DEFAULTSORT:Knutsen, Tormod 1932 births 2021 deaths People from Eidsvoll Skiers from Akershus Nordic combined skiers at the 1956 Winter Olympics Nordic combined skiers at the 1960 Winter Olympics Nordic combined skiers at the 1964 Winter Olympics Holmenkollen medalists Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners Norwegian male Nordic combined skiers Olympic Nordic combined skiers for Norway Olympic medalists in Nordic combined Medalists at the 1960 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 1964 Winter Olympics Olympic gold medalists for Norway Olympic silver medalists for Norway Norwegian autobiographers 20th-century Norwegian sportsmen