Ole Ellefsæter

Who is Ole Ellefsæter?

Ole Ellefsæter is a retired sportsman from Norway. He chiefly competed in cross-country skiing, and won two gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics. At the 1966 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships he won one gold and one silver medal, and in 1971 he became the first Norwegian to win Vasaloppet. Anders and Jørgen Aukland are the only other Norwegians to win this ski race. In 1967, Ellefsæter won the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival, the same year he was awarded the Holmenkollen medal, shared with Toini Gustafsson.

Ellefsæter also participated in athletics, and won the national championships in 3,000 metres steeplechase six times in a row from 1960-1965. His personal best time was 8:43.8 minutes, achieved on Bislett stadion in June 1962. This gives him a 26th place on the Norwegian all-time performers list.

For his accomplishments in cross-country skiing and athletics, Ellefsæter received the Egebergs Ærespris in 1965.

Ellefsæther also had a musical career at the time of his ski career. After he won gold at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, the song "Alle kluter til" that was written particularly for the Grenoble olympics became a big hit in Norway.