Ingemar Stenmark

Jan Ingemar Stenmark (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈɪ̌ŋː(ɛ)mar ˈstêːnmark]; born 18 March 1956) is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Sweden. He is regarded as one of the most prominent Swedish athletes ever,[1] and as the greatest slalom and giant slalom specialist of all time. He competed for Tärna IK Fjällvinden.

Ingemar Stenmark
Alpine skier
Stenmark in 2014
ClubTärna IK Fjällvinden
Born (1956-03-18) 18 March 1956
Joesjö, Sweden
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Olympics
Teams3
Medals3 (2 gold)
World Championships
Medals4 (3 gold)
World Cup
Seasons16 (1974–1989)
Wins86 (46 GS, 40 SL)
Podiums155
Overall titles3
Discipline titles16
Medal record
International alpine ski competitions
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 1
World Championships 3 1 0
Total 5 1 1
World Cup standings podiums
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Overall 3 6 0
Slalom 8 4 1
Giant 8 3 0
Total 19 13 1
World Cup race podiums
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Slalom 40 29 12
Giant 46 13 13
Parallel 0 1 0
Combined 0 0 1
Total 86 43 26
Olympic Games
1980 Lake PlacidGiant slalom
1980 Lake PlacidSlalom
1976 InnsbruckGiant slalom
World Championships
1978 GarmischGiant slalom
1978 GarmischSlalom
1982 SchladmingSlalom
1982 SchladmingGiant slalom

Biography

Stenmark and Lindsey Vonn in 2016.
Stenmark in 1979 at 23.
The Sweden in action in Gardena in 1975.

Born in Joesjö, Storuman Municipality, Lapland, Stenmark's family moved to Tärnaby near Norway when he was four years old. He became a childhood neighbour of Stig Strand (also born 1956), who tied Stenmark for the World Cup slalom title in 1983. Stenmark began skiing at the age of five and won his first national competition at age eight.

Competitive record

Stenmark made his World Cup debut in December 1973 at age 17. He has won more international races than any other alpine skier to date: he took 86 World Cup wins (46 giant slaloms and 40 slaloms). Stenmark won only in the two technical disciplines: slalom and giant slalom (the other events are downhill, super-G, first run in December 1982, and combined). He rarely competed in the other disciplines, as he was not comfortable with speeds in excess of 120 km/h (75 mph). Stenmark still has the record for the biggest win-margin in a World Cup alpine race: 4,06 seconds ahead of 2nd placed Bojan Križaj in Jasna on 4 February 1979. Stenmark was known as a quiet champion, with short, but polite, responses to media questions.[1][2][3]

For his three straight World Cup titles (1976–78), Stenmark earned the Holmenkollen medal in 1979 (shared with Erik Håker and Raisa Smetanina). Stenmark also earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal twice (1975, 1978). His 1978 medal was shared with tennis player Björn Borg, making them the only two men to ever win the honor twice (female alpine skier Anja Pärson received the medal in 2006 and 2007).

At the World Championships in 1978 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen West Germany, Stenmark won the slalom by two-thirds of a second and the giant slalom by over two seconds,[2] and successfully defended both world titles at the Winter Olympics in 1980 at Lake Placid, which also were counted as world championships. At the next worlds in 1982 in Austria, he had a sub-standard first run in the giant slalom and was upset by American Steve Mahre and settled for silver.[4][5][6] Stenmark rebounded in the slalom and became the first to win the same title in three consecutive world championships.[7] At age 25, it was his final medal in a major competition.

Stenmark was not allowed to participate in the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo by the International Ski Federation (FIS) for accepting promotional payments directly, rather than through the national ski federation.[8] Hanni Wenzel of Liechtenstein was also banned; both were double gold medalists in 1980.[9][10] Marc Girardelli, who was the best slalom racer during the 1983–84 season, wasn't allowed to participate either. In his case it was because he didn't have citizenship in Luxembourg, the country for which he competed.[11] Stenmark was allowed back into the Olympic competition in 1988,[3][12] but was past his prime and did not win a medal (however, he had the fastest second run of the slalom competition). He retired from World Cup competition at the end of the 1989 season in March, days before his 33rd birthday.[13]

Other

During the years from 1976 to 1978 Stenmark, along with tennis player Björn Borg, became a national icon in Sweden.[1] This was not changed by the fact that he moved to Monaco in 1980 for tax reasons.[3][8] At age 40, he won the Swedish Superstars championship in 1996.[14] On 26 December 2004, Stenmark survived the Indian Ocean earthquake while on vacation in Thailand. In 2015, he was a celebrity dancer on the Let's Dance 2015, where he teamed up with professional dancer Cecilia Ehrling.[15]

Personal

Stenmark was married to Ann Uvhagen, a Lufthansa airline hostess, 1984–1987.[3][16] They have a daughter, born 1984.[17]

In 2016 he married his girlfriend of some ten years, Tarja Olli from Jakobstad, Finland, with whom he has another daughter, born 2008.

World Cup results

Season titles

  • 19 titles – (3 overall, 8 GS,[18] 8 SL)
Overall Slalom Giant Slalom
1976
1977
1978
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1983
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1984
388

Season standings

Season Age  Overall  Slalom Giant
 slalom 
Super-GDownhillCombined
197417126not
run
not
awarded
197518211
197619111
197720111not
awarded
197821111
197922511
198023211
19812421115
198225222
198326212not
awarded
(w/ GS)
23
198427221
198528631025
198629522
198730627
19883121169
19893217214

Race victories

86 wins – (46 GS, 40 SL), 155 podiums

Season Date Location Discipline
197517 December 1974 Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
12 January 1975   Wengen, SwitzerlandSlalom
21 February 1975 Naeba, JapanGiant slalom
2 March 1975 Garibaldi (Whistler), CanadaGiant slalom
13 March 1975 Sun Valley, USAGiant slalom
197615 December 1975 Sterzing / Vipiteno, ItalySlalom
11 January 1976   Wengen, SwitzerlandSlalom
24 January 1976 Kitzbühel, AustriaSlalom
27 January 1976 Zwiesel, West GermanyGiant slalom
7 March 1976 Copper Mountain, USASlalom
14 March 1976 Aspen, USASlalom
19773 January 1977   Laax, SwitzerlandSlalom
10 January 1977 Berchtesgaden, W. GermanySlalom
16 January 1977 Kitzbühel, AustriaSlalom
23 January 1977   Wengen, SwitzerlandSlalom
6 February 1977 St. Anton, AustriaSlalom
6 March 1977 Sun Valley, USA  Giant slalom  
18 March 1977 Voss, NorwaySlalom
20 March 1977 Åre, SwedenSlalom
21 March 1977Giant slalom
25 March 1977 Sierra Nevada, SpainGiant slalom
197810 December 1977 Val d'Isère, FranceGiant slalom
13 December 1977 Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
14 December 1977Giant slalom
5 January 1978 Oberstaufen, West GermanySlalom
8 January 1978 Zwiesel, West GermanyGiant slalom
9 January 1978Slalom
18 March 1978   Arosa, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
19799 December 1978 Schladming, AustriaGiant slalom
21 December 1978 Kranjska Gora, YugoslaviaSlalom
22 December 1978Giant slalom
7 January 1979 Courchevel, FranceGiant slalom
16 January 1979   Adelboden, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
23 January 1979 Steinach, AustriaGiant slalom
4 February 1979 Jasná, CzechoslovakiaGiant slalom
10 February 1979 Åre, SwedenGiant slalom
11 February 1979Slalom
4 March 1979 Lake Placid, USAGiant slalom
12 March 1979 Heavenly Valley, USAGiant slalom
17 March 1979 Furano, JapanSlalom
19 March 1979Giant slalom
19808 December 1979 Val d'Isère, FranceGiant slalom
11 December 1979 Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
12 December 1979Giant slalom
21 January 1980   Adelboden, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
27 January 1980 Chamonix, FranceSlalom
27 February 1980 Waterville Valley, USASlalom
1 March 1980 Mont-Sainte-Anne, CanadaGiant slalom
10 March 1980 Cortina d'Ampezzo, ItalySlalom
11 March 1980Giant slalom
13 March 1980 Saalbach, AustriaGiant slalom
15 March 1980Slalom
19819 December 1980 Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
10 December 1980Giant slalom
6 January 1981 Morzine, FranceGiant slalom
18 January 1981 Kitzbühel, AustriaSlalom
26 January 1981   Adelboden, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
1 February 1981 St. Anton, AustriaSlalom
2 February 1981 Schladming, AustriaGiant slalom
8 February 1981 Oslo, NorwaySlalom
11 February 1981 Voss, NorwayGiant slalom
14 February 1981 Åre, SwedenGiant slalom
19829 January 1982 Morzine, FranceGiant slalom
12 January 1982 Bad Wiessee, West GermanySlalom
17 January 1982 Kitzbühel, AustriaSlalom
19 January 1982   Adelboden, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
9 February 1982 Kirchberg, AustriaGiant slalom
198314 December 1982 Courmayeur, ItalySlalom
23 January 1983 Kitzbühel, AustriaSlalom
11 February 1983 Markstein, FranceSlalom
13 February 1983 Todtnau, West GermanyGiant slalom
26 February 1983 Gällivare, SwedenGiant slalom
198413 December 1983 Courmayeur, ItalySlalom
20 December 1983 Madonna di Campiglio, ItalySlalom
10 January 1984   Adelboden, SwitzerlandGiant slalom
17 January 1984   Parpan, SwitzerlandSlalom
23 January 1984 Kirchberg, AustriaGiant slalom
4 February 1984 Borovetz, BulgariaGiant slalom
7 March 1984 Vail, USAGiant slalom
198615 December 1985 Alta Badia, ItalyGiant slalom
25 January 1986 St. Anton, AustriaSlalom
27 February 1986 Hemsedal, NorwayGiant slalom
18 March 1986 Lake Placid, USAGiant slalom
198729 November 1986 Sestriere, ItalySlalom
14 February 1987 Markstein, FranceSlalom
198919 February 1989 Aspen, USAGiant slalom

Podiums

Discipline 1st 2nd 3rd Total
Slalom 40291281
Giant 46131372
Parallel 0101
Combined 0011
864326155

World championship results

  Year   Age  Slalom  Giant 
 slalom 
Super-GDownhillCombined
197417DNF9not run
197619DNF23
19782111
19802311
19822512
1985284DNF
198730510
198932DNF26

From 1948 through 1980, the Winter Olympics were also the World Championships for alpine skiing.
At the World Championships from 1954 through 1980, the combined was a "paper race" using the results of the three events (DH, GS, SL).

Olympic results

  Year   Age  Slalom  Giant 
 slalom 
Super-GDownhillCombined
197619DNF23not runnot run
19802311
198427Banned
1988315DNF2
  • Stenmark and fellow reigning double Olympic champion Hanni Wenzel were banned from the 1984 Olympics for having accepted promotional payments directly, rather than through their national ski federations.

References

  1. Farber, Michael (18 February 1980). "Ingemar Stenmark seeks fast way down – and out". Montreal Gazette. p. 18.
  2. Johnson, William Oscar (13 February 1978). "Whipping the cream of the crop". Sports Illustrated. p. 22.
  3. Montgomery, Paul L. (10 January 1988). "Stenmark, at 31, is proving he can still tack slalom". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  4. "Steve Mahre takes giant slalom gold at World Alpine Ski Championship". Bend (OR) Bulletin. UPI. 3 February 1982. p. D3.
  5. Dobbin, Winsor (4 February 1982). "Steve Mahre steps from shadow". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. p. 27.
  6. Johnson, William Oscar (13 February 1982). "One Mahre time for America". Sports Illustrated. p. 22.
  7. "Stenmark takes gold". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. 8 February 1982. p. 17.
  8. "Stenmark ruled ineligible to ski in Winter Olympics". Eugene Register-Guard. 29 October 1983. p. 3C.
  9. "Ski stars banned from Olympics". Ottawa Citizen. Reuters. 26 November 1983. p. 71.
  10. "Ruling slaps Stenmark". Bend (OR) Bulletin. UPI. 7 November 1983. p. D-4.
  11. "Winter Olympics will take place without three alpine skiers". Palm Beach Post. wire services. 25 January 1984. p. D4.
  12. "Stenmark, Girardelli cleared to compete". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. 11 December 1987. p. 39.
  13. "Skiing: Stenmark retires". Lewiston (ME) Daily Sun. Associated Press. 11 March 1989. p. 22.
  14. "Swedish Superstars". The Superstars. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  15. Engman, Pascal (4 February 2015). "Ingemar Stenmarks tuffa start i Let's dance" [Ingemar Stenmark's tough start in Let's dance]. www.expressen.se. Expressen. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  16. "Stenmark marries airline hostess". Evening News. Newburgh-Beacon, NY. Associated Press. 10 September 1984. p. 4B.
  17. "Stenmark finds skiing fun again". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. 22 November 1986. p. 9C.
  18. In 1977 ex-aqueo with the Swiss Heini Hemmi and in 1984 with the other Swiss Pirmin Zurbriggen.
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