Paal Gunnar MIKKELSPLASS

Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass competed at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal in the 15 km at the Calgary Olympics. Mikkelsplass also won the 15 km at Holmenkollen in 1981, the same year he won the World Junior Championships in the 15 km. He was a two-time World Champion, winning gold medals in the relay in 1982 at Oslo and 1985 at Seefeld, adding two more World medals, with silver in the 15 km in 1989 at Lahti and a bronze in the relay in 1987 at Oberstdorf. During his career, Mikkelsplass won four World Cup races and had a total of 20 podium placements in the World Cup. He was third in the seasonal World Cup in the 1987/88 season.

Domestically, Mikkelsplass won three Norwegian titles in the 15 km (1986, 1988-89) and one in the 50 km (1986). Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass married Norwegian cross-country skiier Marit Wold, who won three Olympic silver medals, and three medals at the World Championships. Pål Gunnar Mikkelsplass initially worked as a lumberjack but served as Norway’s national cross-country team coach from 1999-2002. His older brother Eilif K. Mikkelsplass was also an excellent cross-country skiier.