| Sixten Jernberg | |
|---|---|
 Jernberg in 1958 | |
| Country |  Sweden |
| Full name | Edy Sixten Jernberg |
| Born | (1929-02-06)6 February 1929 Lima, Sweden |
| Died | 14 July 2012(2012-07-14) (aged 83) Mora, Sweden |
| Height | 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) |
| Ski club | Lima IF |
Medal record | |
Edy Sixten Jernberg, known as "Sixten", (6 February 1929 – 14 July 2012) was aSwedishcross-country skier and one of the most successful cross-country skiers of all time.[1][2] Between 1952 and 1964 he took part in 363 ski races, finishing within the podium in 263 and winning 134 of them; during this period he won four world titles and nine Olympic medals. In 12 starts over three consecutive Winter Games he never finished worse than fifth place, and between 1955 and 1960, he won 86 out of 161 competitions.[3][4]
Jernberg was a blacksmith and a lumberjack before beginning his career as a cross-country skier.[3] He specialized in the longer distances, with four of his eight gold medals coming over 50 km, one over 30 km and three in the 4 × 10 km relay. He also wonVasaloppet twice, 1955 and 1960.[5] He won the 15 km at theHolmenkollen ski festival in 1954.
At one competition, Jernberg had a fever and coughed up blood, but still finished the 50 km event.[6]Gunde Svan said: "It was almost like [Sixten] didn't like his own body and tried to punish it in different ways."[7]
For his cross-country skiing successes, Jernberg was awarded theHolmenkollen medal in 1960 (shared withHelmut Recknagel,Sverre Stensheim andTormod Knutsen). He was also awarded theSvenska Dagbladet Gold Medal in 1956 (shared with pentathleteLars Hall).[4][5]
Jernberg retired after the Olympic Winter Games of 1964. In 1965, theInternational Olympic Committee awarded Jernberg the Mohammed Taher Trophy for his contributions to Nordic skiing.[3] He died of stroke at the age of 83.[8] His nephewIngemar became an Olympic pole vaulter.[3]
All results are sourced from theInternational Ski Federation (FIS).[9]
| Year | Age | 15 km | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 27 | Silver | Silver | Gold | Bronze |
| 1960 | 31 | Silver | Gold | 5 | 4 |
| 1964 | 35 | Bronze | 5 | Gold | Gold |
| Year | Age | 15 km | 30 km | 50 km | 4 × 10 km relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | 25 | — | 4 | — | Bronze |
| 1958 | 29 | 4 | Bronze | Gold | Gold |
| 1962 | 33 | — | — | Gold | Gold |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Himself | Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics 25 February 1988 – 17 February 1992 With:Raisa Smetanina | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics 5 February 1964 – 25 February 1988 | Succeeded by Himself with  Raisa Smetanina |
| Preceded by | Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics 2 February 1964 – 5 February 1964 With:Clas Thunberg Ivar Ballangrud | Succeeded by Himself |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by | Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal withLars Hall 1956 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
