Ivar Ballangrud

Ivar Ballangrud

Ballangrud at his skating store in 1949
Personal information
Born	(1904-03-07)7 March 1904 Lunner, Norway
Died	1 June 1969(1969-06-01) (aged 65) Trondheim, Norway
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Sport
Country	Norway
Sport	Speed skating
Club	Oslo SK Drammens SK
Retired	1939
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	500 m – 42.7 (1939) 1500 m – 2:14.0 (1939) 5000 m – 8:17.2 (1936) 10000 m – 17:14.4 (1938)
Medal record Representing  Norway Olympic Games 1928 St. Moritz 5000 m 1936 Garmisch-P. 500 m 1936 Garmisch-P. 5000 m 1936 Garmisch-P. 10000 m 1932 Lake Placid 10000 m 1936 Garmisch-P. 1500 m 1928 St. Moritz 1500 m World Allround Championships 1926 Trondheim Allround 1932 Lake Placid Allround 1936 Davos Allround 1938 Davos Allround 1928 Davos Allround 1929 Oslo Allround 1930 Oslo Allround 1935 Oslo Allround 1931 Helsinki Allround 1933 Trondheim Allround 1934 Helsinki Allround European Championships 1929 Davos Allround 1930 Trondheim Allround 1933 Viipuri Allround 1936 Oslo Allround 1927 Stockholm Allround 1938 Oslo Allround

Ivar Eugen Ballangrud (née Eriksen, 7 March 1904 – 1 June 1969) was a Norwegian speed skater, a four-time Olympic champion in speed skating. As the only triple gold medalist at the 1936 Winter Olympics, Ballangrud was the most successful athlete there.

Ivar Ballangrud was one of the best speed skaters in the world for a period of 15 years, from 1924 to 1939. Coming from the small place Lunner on Hadeland, he was a member of the famous "Hadeland Trio", consisting of himself, Michael Staksrud and Hans Engnestangen. He represented the club Trondhjems Skøiteklub.

Ballangrud was four times World Allround Champion, four times European Allround Champion, five times Norwegian Allround Champion, and four times Olympic Champion. He won three Olympic titles at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: 500 m (quite surprisingly), 5000 m, and 10000 m. On the 1500 m during those Winter Olympics, he won silver – his teammate Charles Mathiesen being the only one to keep him from winning gold in all four speed skating events. Ballangrud had won his first Olympic gold 8 years earlier on the 5000 m at the 1928 Winter Olympics. In addition, he won a bronze medal (1500 m) in 1928 and a silver medal (10000 m) at the 1932 Winter Olympics. He would have been the favourite for winning more Olympic gold in 1932 if the races had been held in the normal European way, not the American packstyle way where all competitors are on the ice at the same time.

He made his international debut as a 19-year-old rising star in 1924, although it was too late to compete in the Winter Olympics that year. However, he was paired with Julius Skutnabb – who had just become the Olympic 10000 m Champion – in his first World Championships in Helsinki in 1924, and beat the champion on his homeground. In 1930, he dethroned Oscar Mathisen from the top of the Adelskalender and he would remain the number one on the Adelskalender for seven years.