Björg Eva JENSEN

Bjørg Eva Jensen of Larvik won the Olympic 3,000 m in Lake Placid 1980, the only gold medal Norway won in these Games. Through 2010, she is also the only Norwegian female speed skater to win an Olympic title. Jensen started her international career by not finishing at the 1976 World Junior Championships, 15-years-old. The next year she earned a bronze medal in these championships, advancing to silver in 1978 and 1979, before finally grabbing the title in 1980. She is the only skater, male or female, to win a medal in four consecutive World Junior Championships. One month before the Olympic Games she also placed third in the World Championships. After her successful Olympic season her results gradually got worse, being unable to match the development of the East German and Soviet skaters in this period. She entered the 1984 Winter Olympic Games with no possibility to defend her Olympic title, and placed seventh in her favorite distance, 3000 m.

This was supposed to be her last season, but she continued at national level, winning the national championships in 1986-88 (in addition to 1979-83). She tried a full comeback in 1988, aiming for the Calgary Games, but did not qualify. As late as 2006, she once again participated in the Norwegian Championships, placing seventh in the 3,000 m at age 45. Jensen was a great bicyclist as well, and won track titles 28 years apart, her first titles (time trial and team pursuit) coming in 1979, and her most recent ones coming in 2008 (time trial and individual pursuit) and 2009 (team pursuit). In 1980 she was awarded "Egebergs Ærespris" for her achievements in two different sports. Her two twin sons are also active in both speed skating and cycling.

Personal Bests\: 500 – 42.40 (1978); 1000 – 1:24.30 (1979); 1500 – 2:08.61 (1984); 3000 – 4:29.28 (1982); 5000 – 7:50.4 (1983).