Gunde Anders Svan (born 12 January 1962) is a Swedish former cross-country skier and auto racing driver. During his cross-country skiing career he won a total of four gold, one silver and one bronze medals at the Winter Olympics. Svan won a total of seven golds, three silvers, and one bronze at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. Svan also won the 15 km once (1983) and the 50 km twice (1986, 1990) at the Holmenkollen ski festival. In 1984, he earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal, and in 1985, he earned the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Anette Bøe and Per Bergerud). Svan won the Jerring Award in both 1984 and 1985. He is a board member of the International Ski Federation.
Biography During his skiing career he became known for his dedication and attention to detail. For instance, he used a lighter alloy on the tips of his ski poles, saving . He won two golds (15 km and relay), one bronze (30 km) and one silver (50 km) at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, he won two golds for 50 km and relay. He also won the World championship gold six times and won the World cup five times.
As a competitor in rallycross he got one gold medal in the Swedish Championship and a bronze medal in the FIA European Championship for Rallycross Drivers (1995: Division 1 – Group N category; with a Toyota Celica GT-Four). One of the reasons for getting into another sport was that some people called him a natural skier while he himself maintained that it's just a matter of will and dedication, according to his famous tagline "nothing is impossible". He applied the same methods to his driving as his skiing and even built his own reaction-tester to practice for the rallycross eminently important starts. When his compatriot and teamboss, the late Christer Bohlin, was not able to fulfill his promise to upgrade his Toyota team for 1996 into the top ERC category (Division 2 by then), Svan quit and gave up rallycross.
After retiring from his athletic career he has worked as the host for some game shows such as the Swedish versions of American Gladiators and Fort Boyard along the swedish national lotery Bingolotto. He has played a seductive lady in the short movie En handelsresandes nöd, directed by rock group Svenne Rubins and starring Claes Månsson, Björn Skifs and Gert Klötzke. He has also appeared in numerous commercials including a famous commercial where he impersonated fellow skier Thomas Wassberg.
Svan resigned from his position as Chief of Cross-Country for Sweden on the week of 4 May 2009 after he was involved in its reorganization.
He participated in Let's Dance 2018 broadcast on TV4 where he finished third together with Jeanette Carlsson.
He retired to his forest farm, where he worked with his son, Ferry Svan, and now supports his children's careers.
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games 6 medals – (4 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) Year Age 15 km 30 km 50 km 4 × 10 km relay 1984 22 Gold Bronze Silver Gold 1988 26 14 10 Gold Gold
World Championships 11 medals – (7 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze) Year Age 10 km 15 km classical 15 km freestyle 30 km 50 km 4 × 10 km relay 1982 20 13 — — — 1985 23 5 Gold Gold Bronze 1987 25 23 7 — Gold 1989 27 6 Gold — Gold Gold 1991 29 17 Silver Gold SilverSilver
World Cup Season titles 5 titles – (5 overall) SeasonDiscipline1984 Overall1985 Overall1986 Overall1988 Overall1989 Overall
Season standings Season Age Overall 1982 20 57 1983 21 1984 22 1985 23 1986 24 1987 25 1988 26 1989 27 1990 28 1991 29 8
Individual podiums 30 victories 46 podiums No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1982–83 12 March 1983 Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual World Cup 3rd2 19 March 1983 Anchorage, United States 15 km Individual World Cup 1st3 27 March 1983 Labrador City, Canada 30 km Individual World Cup 1st4 1983–84 16 December 1983 Ramsau, Austria 30 km Individual World Cup1st5 10 February 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 30 km Individual Olympic Games 3rd6 13 February 1984 15 km Individual Olympic Games 1st7 19 February 1984 50 km Individual Olympic Games 2nd8 25 February 1984 Falun, Sweden 30 km Individual World Cup 1st9 2 March 1984 Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual World Cup 3rd10 10 March 1984 Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual World Cup 3rd11 17 March 1984 Fairbanks, United States 15 km Individual World Cup 1st12 1984–85 9 December 1984 Cogne, Italy 15 km Individual World Cup 3rd13 18 January 1985 Seefeld, Austria 30 km Individual World Championships 1st14 27 January 1985 50 km Individual World Championships 1st15 16 February 1985 Aleko, Bulgaria 15 km Individual World Cup 1st16 23 February 1985 Syktyvkar, Soviet Union 15 km Individual World Cup 1st17 9 March 1985 Falun, Sweden 30 km Individual World Cup 1st18 14 March 1985 Oslo, Norway 15 km Individual World Cup 2nd19 1985–86 8 December 1985 Labrador City, Canada 15 km Individual C World Cup1st20 14 December 1985 Biwabik, United States 30 km Individual F World Cup 1st21 11 January 1986 La Bresse, France 30 km Individual C World Cup 1st22 15 January 1986 Bohinj, Yugoslavia 5 km Individual F World Cup 2nd23 14 February 1986 Oberstdorf, West Germany 50 km Individual F World Cup 1st24 23 February 1986 Kavgolovo, Soviet Union 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd25 2 March 1986 Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd26 14 March 1986 Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual C World Cup 1st27 1986–87 10 December 1986 Ramsau, Austria 15 km Individual F World Cup1st28 13 December 1986 Cogne, Italy 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st29 1987–88 12 December 1987 La Clusaz, France 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd30 15 December 1987 Kastelruth, Italy 30 km Individual F World Cup 2nd31 19 December 1987 Davos, Switzerland 15 km Individual C World Cup 1st32 27 February 1988 Calgary, Canada 50 km Individual F Olympic Games 1st33 1988–89 10 December 1988 Ramsau, Austria 15 km Individual F World Cup 2nd34 14 December 1988 Bohinj, Yugoslavia 30 km Individual F World Cup 1st35 17 December 1988 Val di Sole, Italy 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st36 13 January 1989 Nové Město, Czechoslovakia 15 km Individual F World Cup 1st37 15 January 1989 30 km Individual C World Cup 1st38 20 February 1989 Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual F World Championships 1st39 26 February 1989 50 km Individual F World Championships 1st40 1989–90 13 January 1990 Moscow, Soviet Union 30 km Individual F World Cup1st41 21 February 1990 Val di Fiemme, Italy 30 km Individual C World Cup 1st42 6 March 1990 Trondheim, Norway 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd43 17 March 1990 Vang, Norway 50 km Individual F World Cup 1st44 1990–91 7 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy 30 km Individual C World Championships1st45 9 February 1991 15 km Individual F World Championships 2nd46 17 February 1991 50 km Individual F World Championships 2nd
Team podiums 9 victories 14 podiums No. Season Date Location RaceLevel Place Teammates11983–84 16 February 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia 4 × 10 km Relay Olympic Games1st Wassberg / Kohlberg / Ottosson2 25 February 1984 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay World Cup 1st Östlund / Wassberg / Ottosson3 1984–85 24 January 1985 Seefeld, Austria 4 × 10 km Relay World Championships 3rd Östlund / Wassberg / Eriksson 4 10 March 1985 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay World Cup 2nd Östlund / Wassberg / Mogren5 17 March 1985 Oslo, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay World Cup 1st Eriksson / Danielsson / Wassberg61985–86 9 March 1986 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay F World Cup 1st Östlund / Eriksson / Mogren7 13 March 1986 Oslo, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay F World Cup 1st Östlund / Eriksson / Mogren81986–87 17 February 1987 Oberstdorf, West Germany 4 × 10 km Relay F World Championships 1st Östlund / Wassberg / Mogren9 1987–88 24 February 1988 Calgary, Canada 4 × 10 km Relay F Olympic Games 1st Ottosson / Wassberg / Mogren10 13 March 1988 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay F World Cup 1st Ottosson / Mogren / Majbäck11 17 March 1988 Oslo, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 2nd Ottosson / Mogren / Majbäck 121988–89 24 February 1989 Lahti, Finland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Championships 1st Majbäck / Håland / Mogren13 1990–91 15 February 1991 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Championships 2nd Eriksson / Majbäck / Mogren14 1 March 1991 Lahti, Finland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Eriksson / Mogren / Forsberg
Note: Until the 1999 World Championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics, World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system.
Racing record
References
External links
May 8, 2009 article on changes in cross-country skiing, including Svan's resignation.