Gjermund Eggen

Gjermund Eggen competed at the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics but he is best remembered for his performance at the 1966 FIS Nordic Ski Championships in Oslo. Held at Holmenkollen and doubling that year as the Holmenkollen Festival, Eggen won three gold medals, in the 15 km, 50 km, and relay. Literally and figuratively, he became a pop star in Norway for that tournament and was given the Holmenkollen medal, the Norwegian Ski Federation’s honorary medal and the Engerdal municipality’s cultural prize. He then recorded the Engerdals roll on vinyl, along with Dizzie Tunes, and which reached the silver album level (25,000). His other ski victories included the 1968 Swedish Ski Games and the 1969 Lahtispelen 15 km.

Eggen was a forest worker and sheep farmer. He also managed a ski factory and was sales manager for Statens Trelastbruk and Drevsjø lumber. For several years he was head of Hedmark Venstre and he sat on the Engerdal municipal council for the Liberal Party.