Oddvar Brå

Oddvar Brå
Oddvar Brå in March, 1980
Country	Norway
Born	(1951-03-16) 16 March 1951 (age 73) Hølonda, Norway
Ski club	IL Leik
World Cup career
Seasons	9 – (1982–1989, 1991)
Starts	24
Podiums	4
Wins	2
Overall titles	0 – (5th in 1982)
Medal record Men's cross-country skiing Representing  Norway Olympic Games 1972 Sapporo 4 × 10 km relay 1980 Lake Placid 4 × 10 km relay World Championships 1982 Oslo 15 km 1982 Oslo 4 × 10 km relay 1974 Falun 4 × 10 km relay 1978 Lahti 4 × 10 km relay

Oddvar Brå (born 16 March 1951) is a Norwegian former cross-country skier. He was among the best skiers in Norway, the three-times winner of the World Cup (1972–73, then named "World ranking", 1974–75 and 1978–79) and the winner of 16 national championships. His success in the major international championships was more modest.

Career

Brå participated in the 1972 Winter Olympics and the 1991 Holmenkollen ski festival, but his first individual major international win was at the 1982 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oslo, where he won the 15 km event.^{[citation needed]} In this championship, he also tied for the gold medal with Alexander Zavyalov of the Soviet Union in the relay after a dramatic finish in which his pole broke. This event remained in the memory of most Norwegians, leading to the popular all-Norwegian expression "Hvor var du da Brå brakk staven?" ("Where were you when Brå’s pole broke?").^[1]

Brå also won three relay medals at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships with a gold in 1982 and bronzes in 1974 and 1978. Brå additionally won two silver medals in the 4 × 10 km relay at the 1972 Winter Olympics and the 1980 Winter Olympics, the 15 km at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 1980 and 1982, and the 50 km in 1975, 1979, and 1981. In 1975, Brå was awarded the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Gerhard Grimmer and Ivar Formo).

Brå's best individual achievement in the Olympics was a fourth place in the 15 km event in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. He received the Egebergs Ærespris in 1987 for his accomplishments in cross-country skiing and athletics.

Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).^[2]

Olympic Games

• 2 medals – (2 silver)

World Championships

• 4 medals – (2 gold, 2 bronze)

World Cup

Season standings

Individual podiums

• 2 victories
• 4 podiums

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place
1	1981–82	23 February 1982	Oslo, Norway	15 km Individual	World Championships[1]	1st
2		7 March 1982	Lahti, Finland	50 km Individual	World Cup	1st
3	1983–84	17 March 1984	Fairbanks, United States	15 km Individual	World Cup	3rd
4	1987–88	27 March 1988	Rovaniemi, Finland	50 km Individual C	World Cup	2nd

Team podiums

• 1 victory
• 1 podium

No.	Season	Date	Location	Race	Level	Place	Teammates
1	1981–82	25 February 1982	Oslo, Norway	4 × 10 km Relay	World Championships[1]	1st	Eriksen / Aunli / Mikkelsplass

References

• Holmenkollen medalists at the Wayback Machine (archived February 24, 2007) - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)
• Holmenkollen winners since 1892 at the Wayback Machine (archived February 24, 2007) - click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file (in Norwegian)

External links

• Oddvar Braa at the International Ski and Snowboard Federation
• Oddvar Brå at FIS (cross-country)
• Oddvar Brå at Olympedia