Ragnar Omtvedt (18 February 1890–31 March 1975) was a Norwegian born, American Olympic skier.[1]
| Ragnar Omtvedt | |
|---|---|
 Ragnar Omtvedt in Holmenkollen 1911 | |
| Country |  United States |
| Born | February 18, 1890 Christiania, Norway |
| Died | 31 March 1975 (aged 85) St. Lucie County, FL, US |
| Ski club | Viking (1909), Trym (1910–1911), Norge (1912–1924) |
| Personal best | 58.5 m (192 ft) Steamboat Springs, US (18 February 1916) |
Career edit
Ragnar Omtvedt was born in Oslo, Norway. In 1912, he emigrated to the United States. He was the US Ski Jumping Champion three times (1913, 1914 and 1917), and 1922 Canadian champion.[2]
On 16 February 1913, his first year competing in the United States, he set a world record of 51.5 m (169 ft) on Curry Hill in Ironwood, Michigan, United States.[3][4]
On 18 February 1916, he set another ski jumping world record at 58.5 m (192.9 ft) in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where there is currently a restaurant named after him (Ragnar's).[5]
He competed in cross-country skiing and Nordic combined at the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix. Ragnar was denied the opportunity to compete there in ski jumping, because a clerk forgot to submit his name to Olympic authorities. He was injured in 1924 while jumping,[6] which ended his jumping career. He was elected into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1967. He died in Florida in 1975.[7][8]
Ski jumping world records edit
| Date | Hill | Location | Metres | Feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 February 1913 | Curry Hill | Ironwood, United States | 48.2 | 158 |
| 16 February 1913 | Curry Hill | Ironwood, United States | 51.5 | 169 |
| 18 February 1916 | Howelsen Hill | Steamboat Springs, United States | 58.5 | 192.9 |
Not recognized! Stood at world record distance, but achieved at professional championships.[4]
