Ragnar Omtvedt

Ragnar Omtvedt (18 February 1890–31 March 1975) was a Norwegian born, American Olympic skier. [1]

Ragnar Omtvedt
Ragnar Omtvedt in Holmenkollen 1911
Country United States
Born(1890-02-18)February 18, 1890
Christiania, Norway
Died31 March 1975(1975-03-31) (aged 85)
St. Lucie County, FL, US
Ski clubViking (1909), Trym (1910–1911), Norge (1912–1924)
Personal best58.5 m (192 ft)
Steamboat Springs, US
(18 February 1916)

Career

Ragnar Omtvedt was born in Oslo, Norway. In 1912, he emigrated to the United States. He was the US Ski Jumping Champion three times (1913, 1914 and 1917), and 1922 Canadian champion.[2]

On 16 February 1913, his first year competing in the United States, he set a world record of 51.5 m (169 ft) on Curry Hill in Ironwood, Michigan, United States.[3][4]

On 18 February 1916, he set another ski jumping world record at 58.5 m (192.9 ft) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where there is currently a restaurant named after him (Ragnar's).[5]

He competed in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix. Ragnar was denied the opportunity to compete there in ski jumping, because a clerk forgot to submit his name to Olympic authorities. He was injured in 1924 while jumping,[6] which ended his jumping career. He was elected into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1967. He died in Florida in 1975.[7] [8]

Ski jumping world records
Date Hill Location Metres Feet
16 February 1913   Curry Hill Ironwood, United States 48.2 158
16 February 1913   Curry Hill Ironwood, United States 51.5 169
18 February 1916   Howelsen Hill Steamboat Springs, United States 58.5 192.9

  Not recognized! Stood at world record distance, but achieved at professional championships.[4]

References
  1. "Ragnar Omtvedt". U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
  2. "Shines in Great Outdoors" Indianapolis Times 13 January 1923 pg 10
  3. "Makes new ski record; 169 ft". Calumet News. 19 February 1913.
  4. "Ski jumping record broken by 13 feet". San Francisco Call. 16 February 1913.
  5. "New ski jump record". Harrisburg Telegraph. 19 February 1916.
  6. "American Skier Still on Sick List" ME: Daily Kennebec Journal February 13, 1924 page 8
  7. "Ragnar Omtvedt". Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  8. "Ragnar's, Steamboat Springs". Everett Potter's Travel Report. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
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