Norwegian great 'King Happy' dies at age 90
Source: Agencies |
March 28, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
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NORWEGIAN speedskating great Hjalmar Andersen, who won three gold medals in three days to become the most decorated athlete at the 1952 Oslo Olympics, died yesterday only days after celebrating his 90th birthday, his family said.
Known affectionately as "King Happy", Andersen died in an Oslo hospital after suffering a fall in his home on Monday.
Two weeks previously he had said he hoped Norway would win the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and he would be there to watch.
Andersen - the only triple gold medalist at the Oslo Games - had achieved international renown in 1951 when he won the European 10,000 meters title, despite taking a fall and having to repeat the race after just a brief rest.
Andersen went on to win the 1,500, 5,000 and the 10,000 - the latter by a record margin of 24.8 seconds - in the 1952 Winter Olympics.
He remained one of Norway's most popular sporting personalities, receiving a statue along with marathon great Grete Waitz in front of Oslo's Bislett Stadium.
Two other Norwegian cities also have statues of him.
Andersen retired after the 1952 Games but returned two years later to compete at one more Olympics, taking sixth in the 10,000 meters.
Norwegian sports minister Hadia Tajik called Andersen "a legend," and media in the country dubbed him "one of Norway's most popular sportsmen ever".
Andersen married his teenage sweetheart Gerd, with whom he had three children. She died in 2003.
Known affectionately as "King Happy", Andersen died in an Oslo hospital after suffering a fall in his home on Monday.
Two weeks previously he had said he hoped Norway would win the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and he would be there to watch.
Andersen - the only triple gold medalist at the Oslo Games - had achieved international renown in 1951 when he won the European 10,000 meters title, despite taking a fall and having to repeat the race after just a brief rest.
Andersen went on to win the 1,500, 5,000 and the 10,000 - the latter by a record margin of 24.8 seconds - in the 1952 Winter Olympics.
He remained one of Norway's most popular sporting personalities, receiving a statue along with marathon great Grete Waitz in front of Oslo's Bislett Stadium.
Two other Norwegian cities also have statues of him.
Andersen retired after the 1952 Games but returned two years later to compete at one more Olympics, taking sixth in the 10,000 meters.
Norwegian sports minister Hadia Tajik called Andersen "a legend," and media in the country dubbed him "one of Norway's most popular sportsmen ever".
Andersen married his teenage sweetheart Gerd, with whom he had three children. She died in 2003.
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