Aksel Lund Svindal combined an incredible record of success with a personality that made him one of the most popular competitors in the sport. Take a look back at what made everyone love him.
Bode Miller
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Team Norway - Aksel's second family
I think there is no bigger role model than Svindal. It is incredible what he has achieved in his career, but also what a grounded guy he is. He is really so helpful and nice.
Marcel Hirscher
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Norwegian ski racer
Aksel Lund Svindal
Aksel Lund
Crash during Hahnenkamm downhill race, Kitzbühel 2016
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26 December, 1982 (Age 36)
TOTAL WORLD CUP RACE WINS
- 11cm deep laceration in his thigh - Cracked teeth - A fractured bone in his back - Rearranged intestines - His appendix had to be removed
Double Olympic champion, double overall World Cup champion, and five-time world champion –– Aksel Lund Svindal managed to combine an incredible record of success with a personality that made him one of the most popular competitors in the sport. In this collection of photos, video, stories and stats, we take a look back at what made everyone love Aksel, and take a peek at what’s next for this most modest of champions.
The beginnings
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OVERALL WORLD CUP TITLES
In a downhill race, we slide down the race track and have 90 minutes to inspect. In freeriding it’s all based on memory or pictures you’ve taken. So standing on the top and kind of knowing what’s coming, but nor really being sure – that’s nerve-wrecking!
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Did you know?
Aksel Lund Svindal
Congratulations to Aksel for the exclamation point on an amazing and historic career!
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Kjeller, Norway
Aerial crash during Birds of Prey downhill 2007
What’s next?
Achilles tear
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Aksel Lund Svindal
With all respect for all other athletes in Norway, Aksel is the greatest athlete we have!
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Aksel Lund Svindal
Check out the post
1998
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Follow Skiing's Superstars in the new series "In Search of Speed"
In 2014, Aksel juggled a football around with his team mates for a bit of fun
97kg (213lb)
TOTAL WORLD CUP TITLES
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Check out the post
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two-time World Cup downhill winner
Aksel is Lasse Kjus and me in one body!
My sincerest congratulations on an amazing career @akselsvindal You’re truly a champion, on and off the slopes. You’ve had some incredible and even more incredible comebacks. Thanks for always inspiring me to push harder. Cheers to the memories my friend!
Freeriding
Total number of World Cup starts
Lindsey Vonn
Øystein Pettersen
Total World Cup race podiums
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The unluckiest
Milestone
Svindal
How Aksel Lund Svindal became the King of Speed
six-time Olympic medallist
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36
After his horrible crash on the Birds of Prey downhill, Aksel came back the next year to win the race!
Add intro here...
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TOTAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS (5 golds, 2 silver, 2 bronze)
Thomas Dressen
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Born
OLYMPIC GAMES MEDALS (2 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze)
I used to have his picture on my wall as a teenager. What I’ve learned from him? Probably to never give up. He’s been through a lot of tough injuries and always just kept working. And when he’s back, he’s on the top
When he was a young boy, Aksel would go on holiday with his family to Geilo, one of the top ski destinations in Norway, to stay with his grandparents at their cabin. “That’s where I learned to ski,†he recalls. “I got my first pair of skis for my third birthday. Atomics that were 100cm long... I still have them at home!â€
As a kid, my heroes were Kjetil Andre Aamodt and Lasse Kjus. I really looked up to them!
No. of World Cup Seasons:
Height
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but...
Austria’s overall World Cup champion
Olympic gold medalist crosscountry
how
It doesn’t help if one or two people live in the woods and off the land. Everyone on this whole planet has to think about fairtrade, think about the environment, every single day when we make every day choices.
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Scroll down
Perserverance
Aleksander Aamodt Kilde
Resides
Damage
First FIS Race:
previously Norway’s most successful male World Cup ski racer
Kjetil Andre Aamodt,
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Then almost as an afterthought, they told me, ‘Oh, you’ve got five broken bones in your face too.’ I thought, that’s at the end, like a bonus? That can’t be good…
Aksel is even bigger than Terminator
386
80
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The worst
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Watch Aksel in 'a hell of a ride'
tweeting to Svindal after hearing of his planned retirement following the 2019 World Championships
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Weight
Norwegian Vikings
Watch Aksel train to get fit for skiing
Get to know Aksel Lund Svindal in this First Chair interview
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When he won the 2013 downhill title in Schladming, Svindal became the first male racer to win titles in four straight consecutive World Championships.
Aksel is focusing his energy now on environmentalism. Next to a sustainably produced apparel brand – Greater than A – he highlights at every opportunity his concerns about shrinking glaciers and climate change:
Damage
#ThankyouAksel
I just have to thank you, Aksel, for everything you have taught me. It is not to be expected that, despite all your success, you have managed to remain a gentleman.â€
First World Cup Race: