Ole Kristian Furuseth
Encyclopedia
Ole Kristian Furuseth (born 7 January 1967) is a retired Norwegian
alpine skier
. He won his first World Cup
victory in Furano
in 1989 and his final World Cup victory in Bormio
in 2000, and in total he has three World Cup victories in giant slalom and six in slalom
. Furuseth won a bronze medal in the slalom competition at the 1991 World Championships in Saalbach, and a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics
in Nagano.
, he represented the skiing club Ullensaker SK
.
His first international competition was the 1985 Junior World Championships, in which he finished eleventh in downhill
and nineteenth in giant slalom. He made his World Cup
debut in December 1986, finishing tenth in the slalom race in Madonna di Campiglio
. He did not compete in any World Cup races in the 1987 calendar year, but returned in the late 1987–88 season with a sixth and fifteenth place in Bad Kleinkirchheim
and Oppdal
, respectively.
in December, then improved gradually until reaching the podium for the first time, with a second place from Adelboden
in January. On 3 March in Furano
, he finished second in the giant slalom, winning the slalom race two days later. One week later in Shigakogen, he won the giant slalom race and finished second in the slalom. As a result he won the Giant Slalom Cup
that year, though jointly with Pirmin Zurbriggen
. In the Slalom Cup
he finished third, and in the overall standings
he finished fourth. He also competed at the 1989 World Championships
, placing eighth in the giant slalom and sixth in the slalom. He was given the Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year
award of 1989.
The 1989–90 season started equally well, with two second places in August in Thredbo. He then won his next race, a giant slalom competition in Park City
in November. Although that would be his only victory that season, he became runner-up in three further races, including the super-G race in January in Les Menuires
. He again won the Giant Slalom Cup
, finished second in the overall standings
and second in the Slalom Cup
.
In the 1990–91 season he performed best in the slalom. He won competitions in Madonna di Campiglio and Kranjska Gora
in December, and recorded three second places, only one of them in giant slalom. Again he finished second in the Slalom Cup
. At the 1991 World Championships
, he won the bronze medal in slalom and placed fourth in both giant slalom and super-G.
The 1991–92 season saw Furuseth compete more, but top-three achievements were somewhat more few and far between. He won a giant slalom race in Adelboden in January, finished second in a combined
race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
the week before, and finished third in a slalom race in Sestriere in December. At the 1992 Winter Olympics
, he finished fifth in the giant slalom, fourth in the super-G and seventh in the combined race. The 1992–93 season was a disappointment with mediocre results, although he did place twice among the top ten towards the end of the season. At the 1993 World Championships
he finished fourteenth in slalom and tenth in giant slalom. In the 1993–94 World Cup circuit he placed mostly in the 20th-30th range, with results as bad as a 61st place in Val d'Isère
in December. However, the misère in Val d'Isère was followed by a third place in Sestriere only two days later. He also recorded a second place in Kranjska Gora in January.
Results improved again in the 1994–95 season. Although he opened with a 23rd place in giant slalom in Tignes
in December, he achieved fourth place in slalom the next day. In slalom he recorded two third places; in Kitzbühel
in January and Furano in February; he then won his last race for the season, in Bormio
in March. In the 1995–96 World Cup he was disqualified in most of his races, failing to reach the podium. He participated in the 1996 World Championships
, postponed from 1995, and finished seventh in the slalom race which was won by fellow countryman Tom Stiansen
. He performed slightly better in 1996–97, with one third place in slalom in Shigakogen in March and a fourth place at the 1997 World Championships
as highlights.
From the 1997–98 season, Furuseth competed exclusively in slalom. He opened with a thirteenth place in Park City in November, but improved gradually until reaching third in Kitzbühel in January. Then, in February he won a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics
, only defeated by fellow countryman Hans Petter Buraas
. A World Cup victory in Yongpyong on 1 March rounded off a successful season. A mediocre 1998–99 season followed, but in 1999–2000 fully reinvigorated his career, achieving two fourth places, one third places, three second places and one victory in the World Cup. The victory was his last race of the season, Bormio in March. He reached old heights with a second place in the Slalom Cup.
However, the results were not followed up in the 2000–01 season. A fifth place in Åre
in February was his best World Cup result; also he finished eleventh at the 2001 World Championships
. Following the 2001–02 season, where he only reached the top ten once during the season, namely in the 2002 Winter Olympics
, Furuseth retired from active alpine skiing.
, bindings
from Tyrolia and ski pole
s from Scott USA
.
. He has cooperated with his brothers Paal Mogens and Jon Emil Furuseth.
Furuseth is married, and resides in Oslo. His hobbies include boat trips and surfing
.
Norway
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...
alpine skier
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
. He won his first World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
victory in Furano
Furano Ski Resort
, also known as Furano Ski Area, is a resort in Furano, Hokkaido, owned and operated by Prince Hotels. One of the leading ski areas in Hokkaido, the resort became famous for its long-standing relationship with the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. In more recent years, it has held the mid-February...
in 1989 and his final World Cup victory in Bormio
Bormio
Bormio is a town and comune located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy. It has a population of 4,200...
in 2000, and in total he has three World Cup victories in giant slalom and six in slalom
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
. Furuseth won a bronze medal in the slalom competition at the 1991 World Championships in Saalbach, and a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano.
Early life and career
Born in OsloOslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, he represented the skiing club Ullensaker SK
Ullensaker SK
Ullensaker Skiklubb is a Norwegian sports club from Ullensaker, founded in 1958. It has sections for alpine skiing, telemark skiing, cross country skiing, ski jumping and biathlon.World-level alpine skier Ole Kristian Furuseth was a member of the club...
.
His first international competition was the 1985 Junior World Championships, in which he finished eleventh in downhill
Downhill
Downhill is an alpine skiing discipline. The rules for the Downhill were originally developed by Sir Arnold Lunn for the 1921 British National Ski Championships....
and nineteenth in giant slalom. He made his World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
debut in December 1986, finishing tenth in the slalom race in Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio
Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m...
. He did not compete in any World Cup races in the 1987 calendar year, but returned in the late 1987–88 season with a sixth and fifteenth place in Bad Kleinkirchheim
Bad Kleinkirchheim
Bad Kleinkirchheim is a municipality in Spittal an der Drau, Carinthia, Austria. Until the middle of the 20th century, agriculture was the dominant focus, but it is now a renowned spa and ski resort...
and Oppdal
Oppdal
is a village and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Dovre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Oppdal. Other villages in the municipality include Lønset, Vognillan, Fagerhaug, and Holan...
, respectively.
International breakthrough
In the 1988–89 season Furuseth performed consistently well. He opened with a ninth place in SestriereSestriere
Sestriere is an alpine village in Italy, a comune of the Province of Turin. It is from the French border. Its name derives from Latin: ad petram sistrariam, that is at sixty Roman miles from Turin....
in December, then improved gradually until reaching the podium for the first time, with a second place from Adelboden
Adelboden
Adelboden is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.-Geography:Adelboden lies in the west of the Berner Oberland, at the end of the valley of the Engstlige river, which flows in Frutigen into the Kander river.Adelboden is a...
in January. On 3 March in Furano
Furano Ski Resort
, also known as Furano Ski Area, is a resort in Furano, Hokkaido, owned and operated by Prince Hotels. One of the leading ski areas in Hokkaido, the resort became famous for its long-standing relationship with the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. In more recent years, it has held the mid-February...
, he finished second in the giant slalom, winning the slalom race two days later. One week later in Shigakogen, he won the giant slalom race and finished second in the slalom. As a result he won the Giant Slalom Cup
1989 Alpine Skiing World Cup - Men's Giant Slalom
Men's Giant Slalom World Cup 1988/1989-Calendar:-Final point standings:In Men's Giant Slalom World Cup 1988/89 all results count.- Men's Giant Slalom Team Results:bold indicate highest score - italics indicate race wins...
that year, though jointly with Pirmin Zurbriggen
Pirmin Zurbriggen
Pirmin Zurbriggen is a former champion alpine ski racer. He won the overall World Cup title four times, an Olympic gold medal in 1988 in Downhill, and 9 World Championships medals ....
. In the Slalom Cup
1989 Alpine Skiing World Cup - Men's Slalom
Men's Slalom World Cup 1988/1989-Calendar:-Final point standings:In Men's Slalom World Cup 1988/89 all results count.-Men's Slalom Team Results:bold indicate highest score - italics indicate race wins...
he finished third, and in the overall standings
1989 Alpine Skiing World Cup - Men's Overall
Men's Overall World Cup 1988/1989In Men's Overall World Cup 1988/89 all results count. The parallel slalom did not count for the Overall World Cup. Marc Girardelli won his third Overall World Cup....
he finished fourth. He also competed at the 1989 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1989 were held in Vail, Colorado, U.S.A., from February 2-12, 1989.Vail and Beaver Creek would also host the World Championships a decade later, in 1999....
, placing eighth in the giant slalom and sixth in the slalom. He was given the Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year
Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year
The Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year is an annual award given by the Norwegian Association of Sports Journalists .-List of laureates:-References:*...
award of 1989.
The 1989–90 season started equally well, with two second places in August in Thredbo. He then won his next race, a giant slalom competition in Park City
Park City, Utah
Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census...
in November. Although that would be his only victory that season, he became runner-up in three further races, including the super-G race in January in Les Menuires
Les Menuires
Les Menuires is a ski resort in the Belleville valley of Les Trois Vallées between Saint-Martin-de-Belleville and Val Thorens. Owned and operated by Compagnie des Alpes, It is in the Savoie département of France....
. He again won the Giant Slalom Cup
1990 Alpine Skiing World Cup - Men's Giant Slalom
Men's Giant Slalom World Cup 1989/1990.-Calendar:-Final point standings:In Men's Giant Slalom World Cup 1989/90 all results count.-Men's Giant Slalom Team Results:bold indicate highest score - italics indicate race wins...
, finished second in the overall standings
1990 Alpine Skiing World Cup - Men's Overall
Men's Overall World Cup 1989/1990In Men's Overall World Cup all results count.-References:*...
and second in the Slalom Cup
1990 Alpine Skiing World Cup - Men's Slalom
Men's Slalom World Cup 1989/1990-Calendar:-Final point standings:In Men's Slalom World Cup 1989/90 all results count.-Men's Slalom Team Results:bold indicate highest score - italics indicate race wins...
.
In the 1990–91 season he performed best in the slalom. He won competitions in Madonna di Campiglio and Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora
Kranjska Gora is a town and a municipality on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region of northwest Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is best known as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps...
in December, and recorded three second places, only one of them in giant slalom. Again he finished second in the Slalom Cup
1991 Alpine Skiing World Cup - Men's Slalom
Men's Slalom World Cup 1990/1991-Calendar:-Final point standings:In Men's Slalom World Cup 1990/91 all results count.- Men's Slalom Team Results:bold indicate highest score - italics indicate race wins...
. At the 1991 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1991
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1991 were held in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria between January 22 and February 3, 1991....
, he won the bronze medal in slalom and placed fourth in both giant slalom and super-G.
The 1991–92 season saw Furuseth compete more, but top-three achievements were somewhat more few and far between. He won a giant slalom race in Adelboden in January, finished second in a combined
Alpine skiing combined
Combined is an alpine skiing event. Although not technically a discipline of its own, it is sometimes referred to as a fifth alpine discipline, along with downhill, super G, giant slalom, and slalom.-Traditional & Super-Combined:...
race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
the week before, and finished third in a slalom race in Sestriere in December. At the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
, he finished fifth in the giant slalom, fourth in the super-G and seventh in the combined race. The 1992–93 season was a disappointment with mediocre results, although he did place twice among the top ten towards the end of the season. At the 1993 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1993
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1993 were held in Morioka, Japan, from February 4-14, 1993. The men's Super-G race was cancelled due to persistent bad weather and the title went unassigned.-Medals table:...
he finished fourteenth in slalom and tenth in giant slalom. In the 1993–94 World Cup circuit he placed mostly in the 20th-30th range, with results as bad as a 61st place in Val d'Isère
Val d'Isère
Val d'Isère is a commune of the Tarentaise Valley, in the Savoie department in south-eastern France. It lies from the border with Italy. It is on the border of the Vanoise National Park created in 1963. The Face de Bellevarde was the scene of the men's downhill race as part of the 1992 Winter...
in December. However, the misère in Val d'Isère was followed by a third place in Sestriere only two days later. He also recorded a second place in Kranjska Gora in January.
Results improved again in the 1994–95 season. Although he opened with a 23rd place in giant slalom in Tignes
Tignes
Tignes is a commune in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is also a ski resort near Val d'Isère, that are linked together as the "Espace Killy" region...
in December, he achieved fourth place in slalom the next day. In slalom he recorded two third places; in Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel
-Demographic evolution:-Personalities:*Karl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre , entomologist and botanist*Alfons Walde , expressionist painter and architect*Peter Aufschnaiter , mountaineer and geographer...
in January and Furano in February; he then won his last race for the season, in Bormio
Bormio
Bormio is a town and comune located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy. It has a population of 4,200...
in March. In the 1995–96 World Cup he was disqualified in most of his races, failing to reach the podium. He participated in the 1996 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1996
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1996 were held at Sierra Nevada near Granada city in southeastern Spain, February 12-25, 1996. The championships were to be held in 1995, but were postponed due to lack of snow.-Medals table:...
, postponed from 1995, and finished seventh in the slalom race which was won by fellow countryman Tom Stiansen
Tom Stiansen
Tom Stiansen is a former Norwegian alpine skier. The highlight of his career came in 1997 when he won the World Championship slalom in Sestriere, Italy....
. He performed slightly better in 1996–97, with one third place in slalom in Shigakogen in March and a fourth place at the 1997 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1997
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1997 were held in Sestriere, northwestern Italy, from February 3-15, 1997.Nine years later, the area would later host the alpine events for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino.-Medals table:...
as highlights.
From the 1997–98 season, Furuseth competed exclusively in slalom. He opened with a thirteenth place in Park City in November, but improved gradually until reaching third in Kitzbühel in January. Then, in February he won a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 1998 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events held near Nagano, Japan. The speed events were held at Hakuba and the technical events at Shiga Kogen. There were a number of postponements due to weather; the races were run from February 10-21, 1998.-Downhill:The event was held...
, only defeated by fellow countryman Hans Petter Buraas
Hans Petter Buraas
Hans Petter Buraas is a Norwegian Alpine skier. He won the slalom gold medal at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano. He has raced 10 seasons in the World Cup , and he obtained one victory in a World Cup competition....
. A World Cup victory in Yongpyong on 1 March rounded off a successful season. A mediocre 1998–99 season followed, but in 1999–2000 fully reinvigorated his career, achieving two fourth places, one third places, three second places and one victory in the World Cup. The victory was his last race of the season, Bormio in March. He reached old heights with a second place in the Slalom Cup.
However, the results were not followed up in the 2000–01 season. A fifth place in Åre
Åre
Åre is a locality and one of the leading Scandinavian ski resorts situated in Åre Municipality, Jämtland County, Sweden with 1,260 inhabitants in 2005. It is however, not the seat of the municipality, which is Järpen. 25% of the municipal industry is based on tourism, most notably the downhill...
in February was his best World Cup result; also he finished eleventh at the 2001 World Championships
FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2001
The FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2001 were held in St. Anton, Austria, between January 29 and February 10, 2001.-Medals table:...
. Following the 2001–02 season, where he only reached the top ten once during the season, namely in the 2002 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics
Alpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics consisted of ten events held near Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A. The downhill, Super G, and combined events were held at Snowbasin, the giant slalom at Park City, and the slalom at Deer Valley...
, Furuseth retired from active alpine skiing.
World Cup victories
| Date | Location | Race |
|---|---|---|
| 5 March 1989 | Furano Furano Ski Resort , also known as Furano Ski Area, is a resort in Furano, Hokkaido, owned and operated by Prince Hotels. One of the leading ski areas in Hokkaido, the resort became famous for its long-standing relationship with the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. In more recent years, it has held the mid-February... |
Slalom |
| 9 March 1989 | Shigakogen | Giant slalom |
| 23 November 1989 | Park City Park City, Utah Park City is a town in Summit and Wasatch counties in the U.S. state of Utah. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake City's east edge of Sugar House along Interstate 80. The population was 7,558 at the 2010 census... |
Giant slalom |
| 18 December 1990 | Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio Madonna di Campiglio is a village and a ski resort in northeast Italy. It is a frazione of the comune of Pinzolo. The village lies in the Val Rendena at an altitude of 1,522 m... |
Slalom |
| 22 December 1990 | Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora Kranjska Gora is a town and a municipality on the Sava Dolinka River in the Upper Carniola region of northwest Slovenia, close to the Austrian and Italian borders.Kranjska Gora is best known as a winter sports town, being situated in the Julian Alps... |
Slalom |
| 21 January 1991 | Adelboden Adelboden Adelboden is a municipality in the Frutigen-Niedersimmental administrative district in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland.-Geography:Adelboden lies in the west of the Berner Oberland, at the end of the valley of the Engstlige river, which flows in Frutigen into the Kander river.Adelboden is a... |
Giant slalom |
| 19 January 1996 | Bormio Bormio Bormio is a town and comune located in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy. It has a population of 4,200... |
Slalom |
| 1 March 1998 | Yongpyong | Slalom |
| 19 March 2000 | Bormio | Slalom |
Gear
Furuseth used skis and boots from NordicaNordica
Nordica may refer to:companies* Nordica , a manufacturer of skis, ski boots, and accessories for skiingpeople* Lillian Nordica, an American operatic sopranoships* MS Fennica and sistership MS Nordica, Finnish icebreakers...
, bindings
Ski binding
A ski binding is an attachment which anchors a ski boot to the ski. There are different types of bindings for different types of skiing.-Universal designs:...
from Tyrolia and ski pole
Ski pole
Ski poles are used by skiers to improve balance and timing. Early ski poles were simply sticks, then bamboo , then steel . In 1958, Ed Scott invented the aluminium ski pole...
s from Scott USA
Scott USA
The Swiss company SCOTT Sports SA is a producer of bicycles, winter equipments, motorsports gear and sportswear.In 1958, engineer and skier Ed Scott from Sun Valley, Idaho invented a ski pole made of aluminium, which compared favorably to those made of bamboo or steel. On the basis of this...
.
Post-sporting career
After his active sporting career, Furuseth has turned to a business career. He has made his mark in construction, among others as a real estate developer at the ski resort KvitfjellKvitfjell
Kvitfjell is a ski resort in the municipality of Ringebu, Norway. Kvitfjell is one of the most modern resorts in the world, with 85% of the alpine skiing pistes covered in artificial snow. Based near the river Gudbrandsdalslågen, the resort offers 23 pistes: 5 green , 9 blue , 6 red , and 3 black...
. He has cooperated with his brothers Paal Mogens and Jon Emil Furuseth.
Furuseth is married, and resides in Oslo. His hobbies include boat trips and surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
.
External links
- Ski-DB.com - Results - Ole Kristian Furuseth