Claudia Künzel
Encyclopedia
Claudia Nystad (née Künzel, born February 1, 1978, in Zschopau
Zschopau
Zschopau , a town in the German state Saxony, is located on both banks of the river Zschopau, south-east from Chemnitz. It is part of the Erzgebirgskreis district. Its population is 11,584...
) is a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
top-level woman cross country skier. She represents the sports club WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal. Besides her civilian sports career, she serves as a sports soldier with the German Federal Armed Forces
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
.
Career achievements
- 2002 Olympics2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
in Salt Lake City: Gold in 4×5 km. - 2003 World Championships in Val di Fiemme2003 FIS Nordic World Ski ChampionshipsThe FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2003 took place February 18-March 1, 2003 in Val di Fiemme, Italy for a second time . The ski jumping team normal hill held in 2001 was not held at this championships while the women's 30 km returned after being cancelled in the previous championships due to...
: Gold in 4×5 km and silver in individual sprint. - 2006 Olympics2006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in TurinTurinTurin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
: Silvers in individual sprint and 4×5 km. - 2007 World Championships in Sapporo: Silvers in team sprint (with Evi Sachenbacher-StehleEvi Sachenbacher-StehleEvi Sachenbacher-Stehle is a German cross country skier from Reit im Winkl who has competed since 1998...
) and in 4×5 km. - As of February 2007, twenty World CupFIS Cross-Country World CupThe FIS Cross-Country World Cup is an annual cross-country skiing competition, arranged by the International Ski Federation since 1981. The competition was arranged unofficially between 1973 and 1981, although it received provisional recognition on the 31...
podium placements: one victory (the 15 km mass start in OtepääOtepääOtepää is a town in Valga County, southern Estonia, it's the administrative centre of Otepää Parish. Town has a population of 2,189 . Otepää is a popular skiing resort, popularly known as the "winter capital" of Estonia...
on 10 January 2004, where she finished 0.9 seconds ahead of home favorite Kristina ŠmigunKristina ŠmigunKristina Šmigun-Vähi is a former and so far most successful Estonian female cross-country skier. Her parents, Anatoli Šmigun and Rutt Rehemaa were both prominent Nordic skiers...
); six seconds; and eleven thirds. - 2009 World Championships in Liberec: Silver in 4 x 5 km relay.
- 2010 Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
in VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
: Gold in Team sprint. Silver in relay.
Personal life
On June 27, 2005, Künzel married her friend Trond Nystad of NorwayNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, ex-coach of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cross-country ski team.
In the summer of 2007, Künzel donated her gold medal from the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
to benefit the 'Hansel und Gretel' foundation (Hansel and Gretel
Hansel and Gretel
"Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister threatened by a cannibalistic hag living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children...
in German) committed to helping abused children.