30 kilometres (Freestyle), Men

The defending champion was Norway’s Vegard Ulvang while the 1993 World Champion was his teammate, who had been second in Albertville, Bjørn Dæhlie. Both had won three gold medals and four medals in Albertville, but Dæhlie was just starting his career and had by now surpassed his teammate. Ulvang had been second to him in the 1991-92 World Cup and third in the 1992-93 season. He was a three-time champion at Holmenkollen in the 50 km (1989, 1991-92), and he was renowned in Norway, having been chosen to speak the Oath of the Athletes at the Lillehammer Opening Ceremony, but the 1993-94 season had been difficult for him. In November 1993, Ulvang’s brother, Kjetil, had been skiing home when he got lost in a blinding snowstorm and disappeared. Over the next weeks and months, Vegard Ulvang stopped training and began looking for his brother. At one press conference before Lillehammer, his emotions burst forth when he tearfully told the press corps that after the Winter Olympics, he would go back to looking for Kjetil, “I will look for him and I will find him.” They did find Kjetil, but sadly at the bottom of a lake where he had apparently fallen in the blizzard conditions. Vegard Ulvang competed at Lillehammer but at less than his best, and was not entered in the 30 km.

But by 1994 Dæhlie was the best cross-country skier in the world and was expected to win this event, especially since it was in freestyle, his stronger style. He started well and led at all checkpoints as he went through, starting in the 60th spot. But a few starters later, Finland’s Mika Myllylä posted a faster time at the first checkpoint, but he would not be able to maintain that pace, eventually dropping back to third place and the bronze medal. But starting 69th was Dæhlie’s teammate, Thomas Alsgaard, who was only 22-years-old and had little international experience. He was seventh at the 1.7 km time check, but moved ahead at 7.1 km, and led the rest of the way to win a surprising gold medal by over 47 seconds ahead of his legendary teammate. It was the start of a great career for Alsgaard who would ski at the 1998 and 2002 Winter Olympics, winning gold medals in the pursuit and relay in both years.