# Gunde Svan

Gunde Anders Svan (born 12 January 1962) is a Swedish former cross-country skier and auto racing driver. During his cross-country skiing career he won a total of four gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the Winter Olympics. Svan won a total of seven golds, three silvers, and one bronze at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Svan also won the 15 km once (1983) and the 50 km twice (1986, 1990) at the Holmenkollen ski festival. In 1984, he earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, and in 1985, he earned the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Anette Bøe and Per Bergerud). In both 1984 and 1985 did Svan win the Jerring Award. He is a board member of the International Ski Federation.

## Biography

During his skiing career he became known for his dedication and attention to detail. For instance, he used a lighter alloy on the tips of his ski poles, saving four grams (0.14 oz). He won two golds (15 km and relay), one bronze (30 km) and one silver (50 km) at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, he won two golds for 50 km and relay. He also won the World championship gold six times and won the World cup five times.
As a competitor in rallycross he got one gold medal in the Swedish Championship and a bronze medal in the FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers (1995: Division 1 – Group N category; with a Toyota Celica GT-Four). One of the reasons for getting into another sport was that some people called him a natural skier while he himself maintained that it's just a matter of will and dedication, according to his famous tagline "nothing is impossible". He applied the same methods to his driving as his skiing and even built his own reaction-tester to practice for the rallycross eminently important starts. When his compatriot and teamboss, the late Christer Bohlin, was not able to fulfill his promise to upgrade his Toyota team for 1996 into the top ERC category (Division 2 by then), Svan quit and gave up rallycross.
After retiring from his athletic career he has worked as the host for some game shows such as the Swedish versions of American Gladiators and Fort Boyard along the swedish national lotery Bingolotto. He has played a seductive lady in the short movie En handelsresandes nöd, directed by rock group Svenne Rubins and starring Claes Månsson, Björn Skifs and Gert Klötzke. He has also appeared in numerous commercials including a famous commercial where he impersonated fellow skier Thomas Wassberg.
Svan resigned from his position as Chief of Cross-Country for Sweden on the week of 4 May 2009 after he was involved in its reorganization.
He participated in Let's Dance 2018 broadcast on TV4 where he finished third together with Jeanette Carlsson.
He retired to his 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) forest farm, where he worked with his son, Ferry Svan, and now supports his children's careers.

## Cross-country skiing results

All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).

### Olympic Games

* 6 medals – (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
| Year | Age | 15 km | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km  relay |
| 1984 | 22 | Gold | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
| 1988 | 26 | 14 | 10 | Gold | Gold |

### World Championships

* 11 medals – (7 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze)
| Year | Age | 10 km | 15 km  classical | 15 km  freestyle | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km  relay |
| 1982 | 20 | — | 13 | — | — | — | — |
| 1985 | 23 | — | 5 | — | Gold | Gold | Bronze |
| 1987 | 25 | — | — | — | 7 | — | Gold |
| 1989 | 27 | — | 6 | Gold | — | Gold | Gold |
| 1991 | 29 | — | — | Silver | Gold | Silver | Silver |

### World Cup
#### Season titles

* 5 titles – (5 overall)
| Season |
| Season | Discipline |
| 1984 | Overall |
| 1985 | Overall |
| 1986 | Overall |
| 1988 | Overall |
| 1989 | Overall |

#### Season standings

| Season | Age | Overall |
| 1982 | 20 | 57 |
| 1983 | 21 | |
| 1984 | 22 | |
| 1985 | 23 | |
| 1986 | 24 | |
| 1987 | 25 | |
| 1988 | 26 | |
| 1989 | 27 | |
| 1990 | 28 | |
| 1991 | 29 | 8 |

#### Individual podiums

* 30 victories
* 46 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
| 1 | 1982–83 | 12 March 1983 | Oslo, Norway | 50 km Individual | World Cup | 3rd |
| 2 | 1982–83 | 19 March 1983 | Anchorage, United States | 15 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 3 | 1982–83 | 27 March 1983 | Labrador City, Canada | 30 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 4 | 1983–84 | 16 December 1983 | Ramsau, Austria | 30 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 5 | 1983–84 | 10 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 30 km Individual | Olympic Games | 3rd |
| 6 | 1983–84 | 13 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 15 km Individual | Olympic Games | 1st |
| 7 | 1983–84 | 19 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 50 km Individual | Olympic Games | 2nd |
| 8 | 1983–84 | 25 February 1984 | Falun, Sweden | 30 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 9 | 1983–84 | 2 March 1984 | Lahti, Finland | 15 km Individual | World Cup | 3rd |
| 10 | 1983–84 | 10 March 1984 | Oslo, Norway | 50 km Individual | World Cup | 3rd |
| 11 | 1983–84 | 17 March 1984 | Fairbanks, United States | 15 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 12 | 1984–85 | 9 December 1984 | Cogne, Italy | 15 km Individual | World Cup | 3rd |
| 13 | 1984–85 | 18 January 1985 | Seefeld, Austria | 30 km Individual | World Championships | 1st |
| 14 | 1984–85 | 27 January 1985 | Seefeld, Austria | 50 km Individual | World Championships | 1st |
| 15 | 1984–85 | 16 February 1985 | Aleko, Bulgaria | 15 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 16 | 1984–85 | 23 February 1985 | Syktyvkar, Soviet Union | 15 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 17 | 1984–85 | 9 March 1985 | Falun, Sweden | 30 km Individual | World Cup | 1st |
| 18 | 1984–85 | 14 March 1985 | Oslo, Norway | 15 km Individual | World Cup | 2nd |
| 19 | 1985–86 | 8 December 1985 | Labrador City, Canada | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 20 | 1985–86 | 14 December 1985 | Biwabik, United States | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 21 | 1985–86 | 11 January 1986 | La Bresse, France | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 22 | 1985–86 | 15 January 1986 | Bohinj, Yugoslavia | 5 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 23 | 1985–86 | 14 February 1986 | Oberstdorf, West Germany | 50 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 24 | 1985–86 | 23 February 1986 | Kavgolovo, Soviet Union | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 25 | 1985–86 | 2 March 1986 | Lahti, Finland | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 26 | 1985–86 | 14 March 1986 | Oslo, Norway | 50 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 27 | 1986–87 | 10 December 1986 | Ramsau, Austria | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 28 | 1986–87 | 13 December 1986 | Cogne, Italy | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 29 | 1987–88 | 12 December 1987 | La Clusaz, France | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 30 | 1987–88 | 15 December 1987 | Kastelruth, Italy | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 31 | 1987–88 | 19 December 1987 | Davos, Switzerland | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 32 | 1987–88 | 27 February 1988 | Calgary, Canada | 50 km Individual F | Olympic Games | 1st |
| 33 | 1988–89 | 10 December 1988 | Ramsau, Austria | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 34 | 1988–89 | 14 December 1988 | Bohinj, Yugoslavia | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 35 | 1988–89 | 17 December 1988 | Val di Sole, Italy | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 36 | 1988–89 | 13 January 1989 | Nové Město, Czechoslovakia | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 37 | 1988–89 | 15 January 1989 | Nové Město, Czechoslovakia | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 38 | 1988–89 | 20 February 1989 | Lahti, Finland | 15 km Individual F | World Championships | 1st |
| 39 | 1988–89 | 26 February 1989 | Lahti, Finland | 50 km Individual F | World Championships | 1st |
| 40 | 1989–90 | 13 January 1990 | Moscow, Soviet Union | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 41 | 1989–90 | 21 February 1990 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 42 | 1989–90 | 6 March 1990 | Trondheim, Norway | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 43 | 1989–90 | 17 March 1990 | Vang, Norway | 50 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 44 | 1990–91 | 7 February 1991 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 30 km Individual C | World Championships | 1st |
| 45 | 1990–91 | 9 February 1991 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 15 km Individual F | World Championships | 2nd |
| 46 | 1990–91 | 17 February 1991 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 50 km Individual F | World Championships | 2nd |

#### Team podiums

* 9 victories
* 14 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | Teammates |
| 1 | 1983–84 | 16 February 1984 | Sarajevo, Yugoslavia | 4 × 10 km Relay | Olympic Games | 1st | Wassberg / Kohlberg / Ottosson |
| 2 | 1983–84 | 25 February 1984 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay | World Cup | 1st | Östlund / Wassberg / Ottosson |
| 3 | 1984–85 | 24 January 1985 | Seefeld, Austria | 4 × 10 km Relay | World Championships | 3rd | Östlund / Wassberg / Eriksson |
| 4 | 1984–85 | 10 March 1985 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay | World Cup | 2nd | Östlund / Wassberg / Mogren |
| 5 | 1984–85 | 17 March 1985 | Oslo, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay | World Cup | 1st | Eriksson / Danielsson / Wassberg |
| 6 | 1985–86 | 9 March 1986 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Östlund / Eriksson / Mogren |
| 7 | 1985–86 | 13 March 1986 | Oslo, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Östlund / Eriksson / Mogren |
| 8 | 1986–87 | 17 February 1987 | Oberstdorf, West Germany | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Championships | 1st | Östlund / Wassberg / Mogren |
| 9 | 1987–88 | 24 February 1988 | Calgary, Canada | 4 × 10 km Relay F | Olympic Games | 1st | Ottosson / Wassberg / Mogren |
| 10 | 1987–88 | 13 March 1988 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Ottosson / Mogren / Majbäck |
| 11 | 1987–88 | 17 March 1988 | Oslo, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 2nd | Ottosson / Mogren / Majbäck |
| 12 | 1988–89 | 24 February 1989 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 1st | Majbäck / Håland / Mogren |
| 13 | 1990–91 | 15 February 1991 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 2nd | Eriksson / Majbäck / Mogren |
| 14 | 1990–91 | 1 March 1991 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Eriksson / Mogren / Forsberg |
Note: $^1$ Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

## Racing record
### Complete FIA European Rallycross Championship results
#### Division 1

| Year | Entrant | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Position | Points |
| 1994 | Christer Bohlin Motorsport | Toyota Celica Turbo 4WD | AUT 5 | POR 6 | FRA 3 | IRE (8) | GBR 5 | SWE 7 | FIN 2 | BEL (7) | NED (7) | NOR (8) | GER 3 | | 5th | 92 |
| 1995 | Christer Bohlin Motorsport | Toyota Celica GT-Four | AUT 3 | POR (5) | FRA 1 | SWE 2 | GBR 3 | IRE (7) | BEL 3 | NED 3 | NOR (6) | FIN 2 | CZE 2 | GER (4) | 3rd | 131 |