Ronny Ackermann
Encyclopedia
Ronny Ackermann (born May 16, 1977 in Bad Salzungen
, Thuringia
) is a successful German
Nordic combined
skier.
Ackermann started to learn to ski when he was five years old and took up ski-jumping two years later. As of 2004, he belongs to the team of Rhöner WSV Dermbach. His many successes include winning the Nordic combined World Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2008.
Ackermann found success in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
, winning ten medals, including four golds (15 km individual: 2003, 2005, 2007; 7.5 km sprint: 2005), five silvers (7.5 km sprint: 2003, 4 x 5 km team: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009), and a bronze (7.5 km sprint: 2001.) He also has won three silvers at the Winter Olympics in the sprint (2002) and team (2002, 2006) events. Ackermann is the first person to win the 15 km individual World Championships three straight times and the first to do it at the World Championships or Winter Olympic level since fellow German Ulrich Wehling
did it during the Winter Olympics of 1972
, 1976
, 1980
.
Ackermann has also won the Nordic combined event at the Holmenkollen ski festival
three times, with 2 wins in the individual competition (2002, 2004) and a win in the sprint competition (2003). In 2003, Ackermann received the Holmenkollen medal
(shared with Felix Gottwald
).
He was elected Sportler des Jahres (Sportsman of the Year
) in 2005.
Bad Salzungen
Bad Salzungen is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wartburgkreis district. It is situated on the river Werra, 5 km east of Tiefenort and 20 km south of Eisenach. Near the town, there's a Bundeswehr barrack, the Werratal-Kaserne, which was built in 1972 for the GDR Army....
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
) is a successful 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...
Nordic combined
Nordic combined
The Nordic combined is a winter sport in which athletes compete in both cross-country skiing and ski jumping.- History :While Norwegian soldiers are known to have been competing in Nordic skiing since the 19th century, the first major competition in Nordic combined was held in 1892 in Oslo at the...
skier.
Ackermann started to learn to ski when he was five years old and took up ski-jumping two years later. As of 2004, he belongs to the team of Rhöner WSV Dermbach. His many successes include winning the Nordic combined World Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2008.
Ackermann found success in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. Championship events include nordic skiing's three disciplines: cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and nordic combined...
, winning ten medals, including four golds (15 km individual: 2003, 2005, 2007; 7.5 km sprint: 2005), five silvers (7.5 km sprint: 2003, 4 x 5 km team: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009), and a bronze (7.5 km sprint: 2001.) He also has won three silvers at the Winter Olympics in the sprint (2002) and team (2002, 2006) events. Ackermann is the first person to win the 15 km individual World Championships three straight times and the first to do it at the World Championships or Winter Olympic level since fellow German Ulrich Wehling
Ulrich Wehling
Ulrich Wehling is a retired German skier who won the nordic combined event in the Winter Olympics three consecutive times, in 1972, 1976, and 1980...
did it during the Winter Olympics of 1972
Nordic combined at the 1972 Winter Olympics
-Men's event:-References:*...
, 1976
Nordic combined at the 1976 Winter Olympics
- Men's event :- References :*...
, 1980
Nordic combined at the 1980 Winter Olympics
-Men's event:Wehling is the first man to win three consecutive gold medals in the same individual Winter Olympics event.-References:*...
.
Ackermann has also won the Nordic combined event at the Holmenkollen ski festival
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
three times, with 2 wins in the individual competition (2002, 2004) and a win in the sprint competition (2003). In 2003, Ackermann received the Holmenkollen medal
Holmenkollen medal
The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....
(shared with Felix Gottwald
Felix Gottwald
Felix Gottwald is an Austrian Nordic combined athlete who competed from 1994 to 2007 and then returned to compete in 2009...
).
He was elected Sportler des Jahres (Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
) in 2005.