# Thomas Alsgaard

Thomas Alsgaard (born 10 January 1972) is a Norwegian former professional cross-country skier. Alsgaard is regarded by many as the best performer of the freestyle technique (skating) in cross-country skiing and many of today's best skiers have studied his technique. In total, Alsgaard won 15 medals in the Winter Olympics and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, making him one of the most successful skiers of all time.

## Early life

Born in Flateby, Enebakk, Alsgaard began cross-country ski racing at the age of three. That was when he was entered into a race against many 5-year-olds. He beat all of them. A year later, it was rumored that he was lost in the village the family lived in. In fact, he was found at the local ski area, just about to start his third time around a 9-kilometer loop. Alsgaard says that his passion for skiing comes from liking to be outdoors.

## Athletic career

Alsgaard got his international breakthrough in the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics winning the 30 kilometre freestyle event. In total, Alsgaard won 15 medals in the Winter Olympics and FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, making him one of the most successful skiers of all time. Excluding his World Championships debut in 1993, Alsgaard won at least one gold medal at every Olympic Games and World Championships that he participated from 1994 to 2003. Alsgaard retired from racing after the 2003 World Championships.
He won the Holmenkollen medal in 2001 (shared with Adam Małysz and Bente Skari).

## After his career as a professional skier

Alsgaard retired from racing in 2003. Between 2013 and 2017 he was the owner and manager of a ski team, Team LeasePlan.
He now works as a technical advisor for Alpina Sports, working in the Nordic boot department.
He is also known as a sports commentator for the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation.
In the Norwegian Championship in January 2011, Alsgaard took a sensational bronze medal at the 15 km classical individual race, defeating many skiers on the Norwegian World Cup team. He was only beaten by Eldar Rønning (gold) and Martin Johnsrud Sundby (silver). He repeated the feat in 2012, expressing frustration with the lack of aggressiveness and initiative in both the younger elite athletes and the team surrounding them.

## Ski Classics team owner

As of December 2016 the team consists of four "allround" skiers and six skiers with langløp (or long races) as their specialty; Swede Lina Korsgren is the team's only female (as of 2016); Hans Kristian Stadheim assists in coaching. On 21 April 2017, Alsgaard announced that Team LeasePlan had to shut down due to sponsorship problems.

## Cross-country skiing results

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

### Olympic Games

* 6 medals – (5 gold, 1 silver)
| Year | Age | 10 km | 15 km | Pursuit | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km  relay | Sprint |
| 1994 | 22 | 24 | — | DNS | Gold | — | Silver | — |
| 1998 | 26 | 5 | — | Gold | DNF | 6 | Gold | — |
| 2002 | 30 | — | — | Gold | 12 | — | Gold | — |

### World Championships

* 9 medals – (6 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
| Year | Age | 10 km | 15 km | Pursuit | 30 km | 50 km | Sprint | 4 × 10 km  relay |
| 1993 | 21 | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | — |
| 1995 | 23 | 21 | — | 8 | — | 27 | — | Gold |
| 1997 | 25 | 11 | — | 4 | Bronze | — | — | Gold |
| 1999 | 27 | 14 | — | Gold | Silver | — | — | Silver |
| 2001 | 29 | — | 16 | 5 | — | — | 12 | Gold |
| 2003 | 31 | — | — | — | Gold | — | 41 | Gold |

### World Cup
#### Season titles

* 3 titles – (1 overall, long distance, 1 sprint)
| Season |
| Season | Discipline |
| 1998 | Overall |
| 1998 | Long Distance |
| 1998 | Sprint |

#### Season standings

| Season | Age |
| Season | Age | Overall | Long Distance | Middle Distance | Sprint |
| 1993 | 21 | 20 | — | — | — |
| 1994 | 22 | 7 | — | — | — |
| 1995 | 23 | 16 | — | — | — |
| 1996 | 24 | 8 | — | — | — |
| 1997 | 25 | 17 | 6 | — | 24 |
| 1998 | 26 | | | — | |
| 1999 | 27 | 13 | 18 | — | 27 |
| 2000 | 28 | 5 | 4 | 8 | — |
| 2001 | 29 | | — | — | 6 |
| 2002 | 30 | | — | — | 21 |
| 2003 | 31 | 46 | — | — | 43 |

#### Individual podiums

* 13 victories
* 29 podiums
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place |
| 1 | 1993–94 | 14 February 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | 30 km Individual F | Olympic Games | 1st |
| 2 | 1994–95 | 8 January 1995 | Östersund, Sweden | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 3 | 1994–95 | 25 March 1995 | Sapporo, Japan | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 4 | 1996–97 | 21 February 1997 | Trondheim, Norway | 30 km Individual F | World Championships | 3rd |
| 5 | 1997–98 | 14 December 1997 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 15 km Pursuit F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 6 | 1997–98 | 16 December 1997 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 7 | 1997–98 | 20 December 1997 | Davos, Switzerland | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 8 | 1997–98 | 3 January 1998 | Kavgolovo, Russia | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 9 | 1997–98 | 8 January 1998 | Ramsau, Austria | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 10 | 1997–98 | 10 January 1998 | Ramsau, Austria | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 11 | 1997–98 | 8 March 1998 | Lahti, Finland | 30 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 12 | 1997–98 | 11 March 1998 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 13 | 1998–99 | 19 February 1999 | Ramsau, Austria | 30 km Individual F | World Championships | 2nd |
| 14 | 1998–99 | 19 February 1999 | Ramsau, Austria | 15 km Pursuit F | World Championships | 1st |
| 15 | 1999–00 | 27 November 1999 | Kiruna, Sweden | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 16 | 1999–00 | 11 December 1999 | Sappada, Italy | 7.5 km + 15 km Duathlon C/F | World Cup | 1st |
| 17 | 1999–00 | 9 January 2000 | Moscow, Russia | 30 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 18 | 1999–00 | 12 January 2000 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 19 | 2000–01 | 25 November 2000 | Beitostølen, Norway | 15 km Individual C | World Cup | 2nd |
| 20 | 2000–01 | 29 November 2000 | Beitostølen, Norway | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 21 | 2000–01 | 17 December 2000 | Brusson, Italy | 1.0 km Sprint F | World Cup | 1st |
| 22 | 2000–01 | 10 February 2001 | Otepää, Estonia | 10 km Individual C | World Cup | 1st |
| 23 | 2000–01 | 7 March 2001 | Oslo, Norway | 1.0 km Sprint C | World Cup | 1st |
| 24 | 2001–02 | 25 November 2001 | Kuopio, Finland | 10 km Individual F | World Cup | 3rd |
| 25 | 2001–02 | 5 January 2002 | Val di Fiemme, Italy | 10 km + 10 km Duathlon C/F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 26 | 2001–02 | 2 March 2002 | Lahti, Finland | 15 km Individual F | World Cup | 2nd |
| 27 | 2001–02 | 9 March 2002 | Falun, Sweden | 10 km + 10 km Duathlon C/F | World Cup | 1st |
| 28 | 2001–02 | 16 March 2002 | Oslo, Norway | 50 km Individual F | World Cup | 1st |
| 29 | 2001–02 | 23 March 2002 | Birkebeinerrennet, Norway | 58 km Mass Start C | World Cup | 1st |

#### Team podiums

* 12 victories – (12 RL)
* 25 podiums – (24 RL, 1 TS)
| No. | Season | Date | Location | Race | Level | Place | Teammate(s) |
| 1 | 1993–94 | 22 February 1994 | Lillehammer, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | Olympic Games | 2nd | Sivertsen / Ulvang / Dæhlie |
| 2 | 1993–94 | 4 March 1994 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 2nd | Skjeldal / Eide / E. Kristiansen |
| 3 | 1994–95 | 18 December 1994 | Sappada, Italy | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | E. Kristiansen / Skjeldal / Dæhlie |
| 4 | 1994–95 | 5 February 1995 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 1st | Sivertsen / Langli / Dæhlie |
| 5 | 1994–95 | 12 February 1995 | Oslo, Norway | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Sivertsen / Jevne / B. Kristiansen |
| 6 | 1994–95 | 17 March 1995 | Thunder Bay, Canada | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 1st | Sivertsen / Jevne / Dæhlie |
| 7 | 1994–95 | 26 March 1995 | Sapporo, Japan | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Ulvang / Dæhlie / Skjeldal |
| 8 | 1995–96 | 10 December 1995 | Davos, Switzerland | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 2nd | Sivertsen / Jevne / Dæhlie |
| 9 | 1995–96 | 14 January 1996 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 2nd | Ulvang / Jevne / Dæhlie |
| 10 | 1995–96 | 26 February 1996 | Trondheim, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Ulvang / Jevne / Dæhlie |
| 11 | 1995–96 | 1 March 1996 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Skjeldal / Eide / E. Kristiansen |
| 12 | 1996–97 | 28 February 1997 | Trondheim, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 1st | Sivertsen / Jevne / Dæhlie |
| 13 | 1996–97 | 9 March 1997 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Hjelmeset / Skaanes / Sørgård |
| 14 | 1997–98 | 23 November 1997 | Beitostølen, Norway | 4 × 10 km Relay C | World Cup | 1st | Eide / Jevne / Dæhlie |
| 15 | 1997–98 | 6 March 1998 | Lahti, Finland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Estil / Sivertsen / Eide |
| 16 | 1998–99 | 26 February 1999 | Ramsau, Austria | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Championships | 2nd | Bjervig / Jevne / Dæhlie |
| 17 | 1999–00 | 28 November 1999 | Kiruna, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay F | World Cup | 2nd | Bjervig / Skjeldal / Hetland |
| 18 | 1999–00 | 13 January 2000 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Hjelmeset / Jevne / Skjeldal |
| 19 | 2000–01 | 9 December 2000 | Santa Caterina, Italy | 4 × 5 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Estil / Skjeldal / Hetland |
| 20 | 2001–02 | 16 December 2001 | Davos, Switzerland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 3rd | Estil / Jevne / Hetland |
| 21 | 2001–02 | 10 March 2002 | Falun, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Estil / Aukland / Skjeldal |
| 22 | 2002–03 | 24 November 2002 | Kiruna, Sweden | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 2nd | Skjeldal / Aukland / Hetland |
| 23 | 2002–03 | 8 December 2002 | Davos, Switzerland | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Aukland / Bjonviken / Hetland |
| 24 | 2002–03 | 19 January 2003 | Nové Město, Czech Republic | 4 × 10 km Relay C/F | World Cup | 1st | Aukland / Estil / Hofstad |
| 25 | 2002–03 | 26 January 2003 | Oberhof, Germany | 10 × 1.5 km Team Sprint F | World Cup | 3rd | Svartedal |
Note: $^1$ Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.

## Equipment

Alsgaard used skis from Madshus, one of Alpina's partners, with Alpina boots and Rottefella bindings.