Yngvar BRYN

Yngvar Bryn is one of the pioneers of the Norwegian sport history. He was born in Kristiansand as the youngest of six siblings, and his father, a military captain, died when Yngvar was one year of age. At the age of 18, Yngvar won silver medals at the 1899 Norwegian Athletic Championships in the 100 and 500 m, and in 1901 he won the 500 m national championship almost four seconds ahead of his nearest opponent. After his impressive victory he was selected to represent Norway in the nation’s first ever Olympic team for the Paris Olympics 1900. He participated in the 200 m and 400 m race, but was eliminated in the first round. In 1902 we won his second national champion title by repeating his 500 m victory from 1900. In 1902 he set a Norwegian record for the 100 metres with 11.1 – but the record was beaten to 11.0 eight days later.

Bryn was elected president of the Norwegian Athletic Federation at the age of 26 in 1908, and served three years in this position. At the same time his athlete career had switched from athletics to figure skating. Together with his wife Alexia Bryn (they married in 1912) he was national champion 11 times in pairs skating, from 1908-13, and 1919-22. At the 1920 Antwerp Olympics he was present as an athlete in April, earning a silver medal together with Alexia in pair skating. In August he went to the Games once more, this time as team leader for the Norwegian Track and Field team. He was a member of the Judges Committee of the International Skating Union from 1923-25, and served as an ISU council member from 1925-27. Bryn was elected president of the Norwegian Skating Association from 1926-27. In 1932 he acted as a figure skating judge at the Lake Placid winter Olympics. He was a versatile sportsman, also doing swimming, gymnastics, skiing and fencing. Yngvar Bryn studied philology at Oslo University, and worked as a high school teacher until his death in 1947 at the age of 65.

Personal Bests: 200 – unknown; 400 – 50.8 (1900).