Quick Facts
Biography
Håkon Brusveen (born 15 July 1927) is a retiredNorwegian cross-country skier. He competed in the individual 15 km and 4 × 10 km relay events at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics and won two medals in 1960: a gold in the 15 km and a silver in the relay; in 1956 he placed fifth and fourth, respectively. In 1958 he was awarded the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Inger Bjørnbakken).
Brusveen had a chronic asthmatic bronchitis and took up skiing to improve his condition. In 1952 he placed fifth in the Olympic trials and was selected as a reserve for the Olympic skiing team. He won the national 30 km title in 1953, 1957 and 1958, and around that time opened a sport shop in Lillehammer. Brusveen was originally selected as a substitute member of the 1960 Norwegian Olympic team, but performed well shortly before the Olympics, and was included to the main team upon personal recommendation from King Olav V of Norway. At the Olympics he won the 15 km race, beating Sixten Jernberg by 3 seconds at the finish, but lost by 0.8 seconds to Veikko Hakulinen in the last leg of the 4 × 10 km relay, despite having a 20 seconds lead at the start.
After the 1960 Olympics Brusveen changed to biathlon, but failed to qualify for the 1964 Olympics by a small margin. In the 1960s he became a popular radio commentator of cross-country skiing events for Norsk Rikskringkasting.
Cross-country skiing results
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games
- 2 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver)
| Year | Age | 15 km | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 28 | 5 | — | — | 4 |
| 1960 | 32 | Gold | — | — | Silver |
World Championships
| Year | Age | 15 km | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 26 | 20 | — | — | 4 |
| 1958 | 30 | 5 | 17 | — | 4 |