Norwegian · Oslo, Norway · Born 14 January 1971Norwegian alpine skier and one of the greatest all-rounders in the sport's history, whose combined 16 Olympic and World Championship medals rank second all-time behind only Kjetil André Aamodt.
Lasse Kjus was born on 14 January 1971 in Oslo and grew up in Siggerud, Norway, representing the club Bærums SK. He joined Norway's national team as part of the famed 'Attacking Vikings' generation and made his World Cup debut in 1990, quickly showing rare versatility across every alpine discipline. Kjus's international breakthrough came in 1993 when he became World Champion in the combined at Morioka, Japan, a title he backed up with Olympic gold in the same event on home snow at Lillehammer in 1994. At the 1998 Nagano Olympics he became the first alpine skier in history to win two medals in a single day, taking silver in both the downhill and the combined. He also won the overall World Cup title twice, in 1996 and 1999, the latter by just 23 points over training partner and rival Kjetil André Aamodt in one of the closest finishes in the sport's history. Kjus's defining achievement came at the 1999 World Championships in Vail, Colorado, where he won a medal in all five alpine disciplines - gold in giant slalom and super-G, and silver in downhill, slalom, and combined - a feat never repeated by any skier before or since. He added two more Olympic medals at Salt Lake City 2002 before retiring after the 2006 Turin Games. In retirement, Kjus founded the KJUS performance apparel brand in 2000, introducing the first stretch ski jacket in 2002 and building it into a globally recognized label, which he later sold for 56 million Norwegian kroner.
Medaling in all five alpine disciplines at the 1999 World Championships, a feat unmatched before or since, and ranking second all-time in combined Olympic and World Championship medals
How They Played
Complete, versatile racer with genuine medal-winning ability across all five disciplines, renowned for tactical composure under maximum pressure
Lasting Impact
Remembered as one of the finest all-round alpine skiers ever, part of Norway's 'Attacking Vikings' generation that transformed the country into one of the sport's dominant forces
Career Honours
- 1994 Olympic Gold Medalist, Combined
- 2x Overall World Cup Champion (1996, 1999)
- Medaled in all 5 disciplines at the 1999 World Championships - a feat never repeated
- 16 combined Olympic/World Championship medals, second all-time
Norwegian Athletes