Oddvar Brå

Oddvar Brå
Oddvar Brå in March, 1980
Country Norway
Born (1951-03-16) 16 March 1951 (age 73)
Hølonda, Norway
Ski clubIL Leik
World Cup career
Seasons9 – (1982–1989, 1991)
Starts24
Podiums4
Wins2
Overall titles0 – (5th in 1982)
Medal record
Men's cross-country skiing
Representing  Norway
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1972 Sapporo 4 × 10 km relay
Silver medal – second place 1980 Lake Placid 4 × 10 km relay
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1982 Oslo 15 km
Gold medal – first place 1982 Oslo 4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 1974 Falun 4 × 10 km relay
Bronze medal – third place 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)
 Year   Age   15 km   30 km   50 km   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
1972 21 9 — — Silver
1976 25 — 19 DNF —
1980 29 9 12 7 Silver
1984 33 — 32 — —
1988 37 4 — — 6

World Championships

  • 4 medals – (2 gold, 2 bronze)
 Year   Age   15 km 
 classical  		 15 km 
 freestyle  		 30 km   50 km   4 × 10 km 
 relay 
1974 23 5 — 9 9 Bronze
1978 27 — — 9 — Bronze
1982 31 Gold — — 10 Gold
1985 34 18 — — — —
1987 36 — — — — 16
1989 38 9 — — — —

World Cup

Season standings

 Season   Age  Overall
1982 31 5
1983 32 15
1984 33 15
1985 34 36
1986 35 24
1987 36 NC
1988 37 13
1989 38 30
1991 40 NC

Individual podiums

  • 2 victories
  • 4 podiums
No. Season Date Location Race Level Place
1 1981–82 23 February 1982 Norway Oslo, Norway 15 km Individual World Championships[1] 1st
2 7 March 1982 Finland Lahti, Finland 50 km Individual World Cup 1st
3  1983–84  17 March 1984 United States Fairbanks, United States 15 km Individual World Cup 3rd
4  1987–88  27 March 1988 Finland 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 Norway Oslo, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay World Championships[1] 1st Eriksen / Aunli / Mikkelsplass

Note: 1 Until the 1999 World Championships, World Championship races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

References

  1. ^ Segal, David (12 February 2018). "Where Were You When Oddvar Bra Broke His Pole?". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  2. ^ "BRAA Oddvar". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
Preceded by Egebergs Ærespris
1987 		Succeeded by