Ola Vigen Hattestad

Ola Vigen Hattestad
Personal information
Born 19 April 1982
Askim, Østfold, Norway
Professional information
Club Ørje IL
Skis Fischer
World Cup
Seasons 2003-
Wins 13
Additional podiums 14
Total podiums 27

Ola Vigen Hattestad (born 19 April 1982) is a Norwegian cross country skier who has competed since 2002. He is the most successful cross country sprinter of all time.[1] Competing in three Winter Olympics, he became Olympic champion in the individual sprint event at Sochi in 2014.

Career

Hattestad has 13 individual World Cup victories, all in the sprint events. He also won the 2007–08, 2008–09 and 2013-14 World Cup in the sprint discipline and finished third in the overall 2008–2009 world cup.

Hattestad won two gold medals at the 2009 World Championships, earning them in the individual and team sprint events. Having ranked sixth in the qualifying round, Hattestad progressed through the quarter finals and semi finals by winning each round, eventually taking the title ahead of fellow Norwegian Johan Kjølstad. The subsequent day, the two of them teamed up for the team sprint and won another gold medal.

He was initially not qualified for the Norwegian team at the Sochi Olympics, but this changed before the opening individual sprint, where he emerged victorious after the fastest prologue, and winning the quarterfinal, semifinal and final.

References

  1. "Nå er Ola Vigen Hattestad tidenes mestvinnende sprinter" (in Norwegian). TV 2. March 6, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2014.