Frode Estil (born 31 May 1972) is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier. He lives in Meråker Municipality with his wife Grete whom he married in the summer of 2001. They have two sons, Bernhard, born in August 2002, and Konrad. Estil was classical specialist and also a specialist at succeeding in World Championships and Olympics. While Estil only won four World Cup races, he won one individual Olympic Gold and one individual World Championship gold. In addition, he won three team events in the World Championships and another team gold in the Olympics.
World Cup Estil's first World Cup victory was in 1999 in the 30 km event at Davos. FIS World Cup results His best standing at the end of a season was during 2001/02 when he finished fifth. Estil has been competing in the World Cup since 1995/96, in which he finished the season in 42nd place, and in 1996/97 he finished 63rd. The year after however he jumped up to 12th. The following two years he finished 19th and 12th. Finally, in the 2000/01 season, he finished inside the top ten of the world, finishing eight. The next season (2001/02) was even better for Estil, not only did he get married in the summer but he finished in fifth place overall, his ever highest overall ranking. The next two seasons he finished in sixth. After the 2002/03 season he stopped competing in the sprint events after finishing the season in 58th, he had finished the sprint seasons in 48th (1996/97), 18th (1997/98), 18th (1998/99), 32nd (1999/00), and 39th in 2001/02. In 2003/04 he finished third in the distance standings. 2004/05 was a poor season, finishing 14th in the distance, and 25th in the overall. Estil finished the 2005/06 season in ninth place in the FIS World Cup standings, 456 points behind winner Tobias Angerer. Estil finished fourth in the distance, 420 points behind Angerer, and again did not compete in the sprints.
Estil has had 18 World Cup podium finishes. Four of them in the first place, six in second place and eight in third place. His wins came in 1999/00, 2002/03 and two in 2003/04. The most podium finishes he has had in a single season was in 2002/03, where he had four (one win, two second, and one third). He had three podiums in the seasons either side of that season. All of his wins have been in the classic style, except one double pursuit (in which the first half of the race is in the classical technique).
The 15 km is his most successful event in terms of numbers of podium finishes. Through the years he has had one win, three second places and three third places. His most successful event in terms of wins is the 30 km, where he has had three victories (also one second and one third).
World Championships Estil's first gold medal in an international championship was in the relay in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2001 in Lahti, where he also took silver in the 30 km.
At the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2003, held in Val di Fiemme, Estil won a gold in the 4 × 10 km relay and bronze in the 15 km and 30 km.
At the 2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Oberstdorf, Estil won gold in the 50 km race, and the 4 × 10 km relay. In the 50 km race he won in a time of 2:30:10.1, 2005 World Championship Gold beating Anders Aukland by 0.7 seconds, and Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset came third making it a Norwegian sweep. A characteristic of Estil is to start slow and then come through the pack towards the end of the race, he was 23rd after 12.5 km, and 11th after 27.5 km, but by 42.5 km he was third, and came through to win. In the relay, Norway (Hjelmeset, Estil, biathlete Lars Berger, and Tore Ruud Hofstad) won, with Germany second and Russia third. 2005 World Championship relay Gold Norway finished 17.7 seconds ahead of the Germans, with Estil skiing Norway's second fastest leg (behind Berger). He also won a bronze medal in the 15 km + 15 km double pursuit, 2005 World Championship bronze in a time of 1:19:21.3, 0.8 seconds behind winner Vincent Vittoz, and losing silver to Giorgio Di Centa in a photo finish.
At the 2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Sapporo, Estil won only one medal. He lost the gold at the finish line of the 50 km event to fellow Norwegian Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset. Estil has nine World Championship medals as of the Sapporo championships with four gold, two silver, and three bronze.
Olympics Estil has competed in two Winter Olympics. In the 2002 Games Estil won golds in the 10 km + 10 km combined pursuit, and the 4 × 10 km relay; and won a silver in the 15 km. In the 2006 Winter Olympics he won a silver medal in the 15 km + 15 km double pursuit.
In the 10 km + 10 km combined pursuit, Estil tied with fellow Norwegian Thomas Alsgaard for second place, with Johann Mühlegg winning the race. However Mühlegg was found guilty of doping and disqualified by the IOC in February 2004, therefore upgrading Estil and Alsgaard to joint gold medalists. Alsgaard and Estil clocked times of 49:48.9, 4 seconds ahead of Per Elofsson. 2002 Olympic Gold
In the same Olympic Games, he also won a silver medal in the 15 km Classic race, and a gold medal in the 4 × 10 km relay together with Alsgaard, Kristen Skjeldal and Anders Aukland. Estil finished the 15 km race in 37:43.4, 36 seconds behind Andrus Veerpalu of Estonia, and 7.4 seconds ahead of Jaak Mae also of Estonia. 2002 Olympic Silver Estil also took part in the 50 km classic, but finished ninth, in a time of 2:10:44.8, 4:22.0 behind winner Mikhail Ivanov of Russia. 2002 Olympic 9th
At the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, Estil won the silver medal in the men's 15 km + 15 km double pursuit competition despite taking a fall and breaking a ski at the start of the race which put him in last place. Eugeni Dementiev of Russia won the race, 1.6 seconds ahead of Estil, who finished the race in 1:17:01.8, 0.3 seconds ahead of Pietro Piller Cottrer who came third. 2006 Olympic Silver In the same Games Estil also took part in the 15 km classical, and the 50 km freestyle mass start, but finished 17th and 28th respectively. Estil's results mirrored those of the Norwegian cross-country team who failed to win a single Gold medal in Turin, owing to stomach illness and waxing mistakes made by Norway's eight man strong service team.
Estil's Olympic medals include two golds and two silvers.
Medical Estil has a high hemoglobin level, and has received a blood-certificate by the FIS, so that when his blood is tested the maximum hemoglobin allowed to race is 17.5 grams hemoglobin per 100 ml of blood, compared to 17 grams for men and 16 grams per 100 ml for athletes without this certificate.
Legacy Estil has had a hill in Soldier Hollow, Utah, United States, (where the cross country skiing and biathlon events of the 2002 Winter Olympics took place) named after him after his three medals. Frode Estil was named Norwegian sportsman of the year in 2001. Estil received the Holmenkollen Medal in 2007 (Shared with Simon Ammann, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, King Harald V, and Queen Sonja).
Cross-country skiing results All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).
Olympic Games 4 medals – (2 gold, 2 silver) Year Age 15 km Pursuit 30 km 50 km Sprint 4 × 10 km relay Team sprint 2002 29 Silver Gold — 9 — Gold 2006 33 16 Silver 28 — 5 —
World Championships 9 medals – (4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) Year Age 10 km 15 km Pursuit 30 km 50 km Sprint 4 × 10 km relay Team sprint 1999 26 — — — 8 — 2001 28 6 — Silver —— Gold 2003 30 Bronze 12 Bronze 29 — Gold 2005 32 — Bronze Gold — Gold — 2007 34 14 17 Silver — — —
World Cup Season standings Season Age Discipline standingsSki Tour standingsOverallDistanceLong DistanceMiddle DistanceSprintTour deSki 1995 22 1996 23 42 1997 24 63 48 1998 25 12 9 18 1999 26 19 16 18 2000 27 12 6 20 32 2001 28 8 — 2002 29 5 39 2003 30 6 58 2004 31 6 2005 32 25 14 — 2006 33 9 4 — 2007 34 10 5 11
Individual podiums 4 victories 20 podiums No. Season Date Location Race Level Place1 1997–98 8 March 1998 Lahti, Finland 30 km Individual C World Cup 3rd2 1998–99 7 March 1999 Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual C World Cup 3rd31999–00 18 December 1999 Davos, Switzerland 30 km Individual C World Cup 1st4 17 March 2000 Bormio, Italy 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd5 2000–01 10 March 2001 Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual C World Cup 3rd6 17 March 2001 Falun, Sweden 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd7 2001–02 24 November 2001 Kuopio, Finland 15 km Individual C World Cup 3rd8 8 December 2001 Cogne, Italy 10 km Individual C World Cup 3rd9 13 March 2002 Birkebeinerrennet, Norway 58 km Mass Start C World Cup 3rd102002–03 14 December 2002 Cogne, Italy 30 km Mass Start C World Cup 1st11 25 January 2003 Oberhof, Germany 15 km Mass Start C World Cup 3rd12 15 February 2003 Asiago, Italy 10 km Individual C World Cup 2nd13 22 March 2003 Falun, Sweden 10 km + 10 km Duathlon C/F World Cup 2nd142003–04 10 January 2004 Otepää, Estonia 30 km Mass Start C World Cup 1st15 17 January 2004 Nové Město, Czech Republic 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd16 7 March 2004 Lahti, Finland 15 km Individual CWorld Cup 1st17 2004–05 8 January 2005 Otepää, Estonia 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd18 2005–06 17 December 2005 Canmore, Canada 30 km Mass Start C World Cup 2nd19 2006–07 27 January 2007 Otepää, Estonia 15 km Individual C World Cup 2nd20 25 March 2007 Oslo, Norway 50 km Individual C World Cup 3rd
Team podiums 9 victories – (9 ) 16 podiums – (15 , 1 ) No. Season Date Location Race Level Place Teammate(s)11995–96 17 March 1996 Oslo, Norway 4 × 5 km Relay F World Cup 1st Bjonviken / Andersen / Hetland2 1997–98 23 November 1997 Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 3rd Sivertsen / Aukland / Skaanes3 6 March 1998 Lahti, Finland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Sivertsen / Eide / Alsgaard41998–99 21 March 1999 Oslo, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C World Cup 1st Bjervig / Aukland / Hjelmeset5 1999–00 8 December 1999 Asiago, Italy Team Sprint F World Cup 2nd Bjonviken6 19 December 1999 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay CWorld Cup 1st Hjelmeset / Jevne / Bjervig72000–01 9 December 2000 Santa Caterina, Italy 4 × 5 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Skjeldal / Hetland / Alsgaard8 2001–02 16 December 2001 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Jevne / Alsgaard / Hetland9 10 March 2002 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Aukland / Skjeldal / Alsgaard10 2002–03 8 December 2002 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Hjelmeset / Skjeldal / Bjervig11 19 January 2003 Nové Město, Czech Republic 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Aukland / Hofstad / Alsgaard12 2003–04 23 November 2003 Beitostølen, Norway 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 3rd Bjonviken / Andresen / Bjørndalen13 14 December 2003 Davos, Switzerland 4 × 10 km Relay C/FWorld Cup 1st Aukland / Skjeldal / Hetland14 22 February 2004 Umeå, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 2nd Hjelmeset / Skjeldal / Hofstad152004–05 12 December 2004 Val di Fiemme, Italy 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Svartedal / Hjelmeset / Hofstad162006–07 25 March 2007 Falun, Sweden 4 × 10 km Relay C/F World Cup 1st Pettersen / Hjelmeset / Northug
Notes and references
External links
Frode Estil's official website Holmenkollen medal presented to Estil and Hjelmeset - Accessed March 21, 2007 2007 Holmenkollen medalists announced - Accessed March 18, 2007. Short video of Frode being wished good luck by the Leeds manager