Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down from a specially designed curved ramp on their skis. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the final score. Ski jumping was first contested in Norway in the late 19th century, and later spread through Europe and North America in the early 20th century. Along with cross-country skiing, it constitutes the traditional group of Nordic skiing disciplines.
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA. It was soon backed by International Ski Federation president Marc Hodler during the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1966 at Portillo, Chile, and became an official FIS event in the spring of 1967 after the FIS Congress at Beirut, Lebanon. The first World Cup ski race was held in Berchtesgaden, West Germany, on January 5, 1967. Jean-Claude Killy of France and Nancy Greene of Canada were the overall winners for the first two seasons.
Jan Ingemar Stenmark is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Sweden. He is regarded as one of the most prominent Swedish athletes ever, and as the greatest slalom and giant slalom specialist of all time. He competed for Tärna IK Fjällvinden.
Thomas Lars Wassberg is a Swedish former cross-country skier. A fast skating style – push for every leg – is still called "Wassberg" after him in several countries. Wassberg's skiing idols when growing up were Sixten Jernberg and Oddvar Brå. He has described his mental strength and physical fitness as his greatest abilities as a skier, with his main weakness being a lack of sprinting ability.
Vegard Ulvang is a Norwegian cross-country skier who won three Olympic gold medals, two silver, and one bronze. He has retired from international and Olympic competition. At the opening ceremony of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games, he took the ceremonial Olympic Oath on part of all the athletes. In addition to his Olympic achievements, he received the Holmenkollen medal in 1991, and won the World Cup in 1990. He has also won nine gold, six silver, and two bronze medals in the Norwegian Championships. He earned nine World Cup race victories. Ulvang also won the 50 km at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 1989, 1991 and 1992.
Kjetil André Aamodt is a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Norway, a champion in the Olympics, World Championships, and World Cup. He is one of the most successful alpine ski racers from Norway.
Bente Skari, née Martinsen, is a Norwegian former cross-country skier. She is one of the most successful cross-country skiers ever.
Eldar Rønning is a Norwegian former cross-country skier. He skis with the Skogn IL club, in Nord-Trøndelag.
Frode Andresen is a former Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier.
Vladimir Mikhaylovich Smirnov is a Kazakhstani former cross-country skier who raced from the 1982 until 1991 for the USSR and, later, for Kazakhstan. He is the first Olympic champion from independent Kazakhstan and the most decorated Olympian in history of Kazakhstan. He is also a vice president of the International Biathlon Union. Smirnov is a former member of International Olympic Committee.
Oddvar Brå is a Norwegian former cross-country skier. He was among the best skiers in Norway, the three-times winner of the World Cup and the winner of 16 national championships. His success in the major international championships was more modest.
Lars Erik Eriksen is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier who competed in multiple events at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics and 1978 and 1982 World Championships. He had his best achievements in the 4 × 10 km relay, winning a bronze in 1978, a silver in 1980 and a gold in 1982, and finishing in fourth place at the 1984 Olympic Games. Individually, he performed better in longer distances, winning two medals in the 30 and 50 km at the 1982 World Championships and finishing fourth in the 50 km at the 1980 Olympic Games, though he also won the 1984 World Cup in the 15 km event. Eriksen retired in 1988, and later worked as a skiing coach, with Bjørn Dæhlie among others.
Devon Kershaw is a Canadian retired cross-country skier who competed from 2005 to 2018. Growing up in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, he split his time between several sports before choosing to focus on his cross-country ski career. His career highlights include placing second overall in the World Cup standing in 2011/2012 and claiming the World Champion title in 2011 at the World Ski Championships in Oslo, Norway in the men's team sprint with teammate Alex Harvey.
Tord Asle Gjerdalen is a Norwegian cross-country skier.
Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen is a Norwegian World Cup alpine ski racer, specializing in the technical events of giant slalom and slalom.
Andrew "Andy" Musgrave is a British cross-country skier. He has competed in the World Cup since 2008 and represented Great Britain at the 2009 World Championships and the 2010, 2014 and 2018 Winter Olympics.
Filip Flisar is a retired Slovenian freestyle skier who competed in ski cross discipline.
Tore Bjonviken is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier.
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is a Norwegian cross-country skier who represents Byåsen IL. He holds multiple records, most notably for being the youngest male in history to win the FIS Cross-Country World Cup, the Tour de Ski, a World Championship event, and an Olympic event in cross-country skiing.
Norway 