Jernberg, Sixten

Sixten Jernberg, (born February 6, 1929, Lima, Sweden—died July 14, 2012, Mora), Swedish skier who was one of the most successful cross-country skiers of his era, amassing nine Olympic medals.

Jernberg was originally a lumberjack by trade and first came to prominence as a skier in the 1954 world championships, where he finished fourth in the 30 km and shared the Swedish team’s bronze in the 4 × 10-km relay. A year later he captured the annual 90-km Vasaloppet race (a feat he repeated in 1960). Jernberg made his Olympic debut at the 1956 Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where he won the 50-km race and earned silver medals in both the 15 km and 30 km. He also was a member of the bronze-winning 4 × 10-km relay team. At the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, he won a gold medal in the 30 km and took silver in the 15 km. Jernberg’s success continued at the 1964 Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, where he won gold in both the 50 km and the 4 × 10-km relay. He also claimed a bronze medal in the 15-km race. Jernberg’s other results included double gold (50 km and relay) at the 1958 and 1962 world championships (plus a bronze in the 30 km in 1958), and he captured seven consecutive Swedish Nordic titles (1954–60). Jernberg retired after the 1964 Olympics and was proclaimed a Swedish national hero.