| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
|---|
| Olympic Winter Games |
| 1 | Sprint Classic | 2010 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | 3:39.2 |
| 1 | 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon | 2010 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | 39:58.1 |
| 1 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2010 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | 55:19.5 |
| 2 | 30km Mass Start Classic | 2010 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | 1:30:34.0 |
| 2 | 10km Classic | 2006 | Torino, ITA | 28:12.7 |
| 2 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2002 | Salt Lake City, UT, USA | 49:31.9 |
| 3 | 10km Free | 2010 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | 25:14.3 |
| 4 | Team Sprint Classic | 2006 | Torino, ITA | 16:48.1 |
| 5 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2006 | Torino, ITA | 55:21.8 |
| 14 | 30km Mass Start Classic | 2002 | Salt Lake City, UT, USA | 1:37:02.6 |
| 18 | Sprint Free | 2006 | Torino, ITA | 2:16.8 |
| 50 | 15km Free | 2002 | Salt Lake City, UT, USA | 47:07.4 |
| 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon | 2006 | Torino, ITA | DNF |
| World Championships |
| 1 | Sprint Classic | 2013 | Val di Fiemme, ITA | 3:16.6 |
| 1 | 30km Mass Start Classic | 2013 | Val di Fiemme, ITA | 1:27:19.9 |
| 1 | 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon | 2013 | Val di Fiemme, ITA | 39:04.4 |
| 1 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2013 | Val di Fiemme, ITA | 1:00:36.5 |
| 1 | Sprint Free | 2011 | Oslo, NOR | 3:03.9 |
| 1 | 10km Classic | 2011 | Oslo, NOR | 27:39.3 |
| 1 | 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon | 2011 | Oslo, NOR | 38:08.6 |
| 1 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2011 | Oslo, NOR | 53:30.0 |
| 1 | 30km Mass Start Classic | 2005 | Oberstdorf, GER | 1:27:05.8 |
| 1 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2005 | Oberstdorf, GER | 57:15.7 |
| 1 | Team Sprint Free | 2005 | Oberstdorf, GER | 12:19.7 |
| 1 | Sprint Free | 2003 | Val di Fiemme, ITA | |
| 2 | 10km Free | 2013 | Val di Fiemme, ITA | 25:33.6 |
| 2 | 30km Mass Start Free | 2011 | Oslo, NOR | 1:24:29.1 |
| 2 | 7.5km + 7.5km Skiathlon | 2005 | Oberstdorf, GER | 42:32.5 |
| 2 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2003 | Val di Fiemme, ITA | 51:26.3 |
| 3 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2007 | Sapporo, JPN | 54:34.3 |
| 3 | Team Sprint Free | 2007 | Sapporo, JPN | 16:24.0 |
| 3 | 10km Free | 2005 | Oberstdorf, GER | 26:42.8 |
| World Cup Rankings overview - displays all rankings from 2010/11, top three for earlier seasons |
| Season | Overall | Sprint | Distance |
|---|
| 2013/2014 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2012/2013 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
| 2011/2012 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010/2011 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 2009/2010 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 2006/2007 | 2 | - | - |
| 2005/2006 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 2004/2005 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003/2004 | 2 | 1 | - |
| 2002/2003 | - | 1 | - |
| Best performance per season in World Cup events from 2010/2011 - Individual events until 10 km |
| Season | SP C | SP F | 2.5km C | 2.5km F | 3km C | 3km F | 5km C | 5km F | 10km C | 10km F | 9km P | 10km P | 5km/5km |
|---|
| 2013/2014 | 1 x 13th | 2 x 1st | - | - | - | 1 x 1st | 1 x 2nd | - | 1 x 1st | - | - | 1 x 3rd | - |
| 2012/2013 | 1 x 1st | 1 x 2nd | - | 1 x 1st | - | - | - | 1 x 1st | 2 x 1st | 1 x 1st | - | 1 x 1st | - |
| 2011/2012 | 4 x 1st | 1 x 1st | - | 1 x 1st | 1 x 1st | - | - | 1 x 1st | 3 x 2nd | 2 x 1st | 1 x 3rd | 1 x 2nd | 1 x 1st |
| 2010/2011 | 2 x 1st | 1 x 1st | 1 x 1st | - | - | - | 1 x 1st | - | 3 x 1st | 1 x 1st | - | 1 x 4th | 1 x 1st |
| Best performance per season in World Cup events from 2010/2011 - Individual events longer than 10 km |
| Season | 15km C | 15km F | 30km C | 30km F | 7.5km/7.5km | Overall |
|---|
| 2013/2014 | - | 1 x 1st | - | - | - | 1 x 1st |
| 2012/2013 | - | - | - | 1 x DNS | - | 2 x 1st |
| 2011/2012 | 1 x 1st | 2 x 1st | 1 x 1st | - | 1 x 2nd | 2 x 1st |
| 2010/2011 | - | 1 x 1st | - | - | - | 2 x 1st |
| Best performances in World Cup races from 2010/2011 - Team events |
| Season | 4x5km R | TSP C |
|---|
| 2013/2014 | 1 x 1st | - |
| 2012/2013 | 2 x 1st | - |
| 2011/2012 | 2 x 1st | - |
| 2010/2011 | 2 x 1st | 1 x 1st |
| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
|---|
| Ten best World Cup performances in current season |
| 1 | Sprint Free | 2013/2014 | Dobbiaco, ITA | 2:59.80 |
| 1 | Sprint Free | 2013/2014 | Davos, SUI | 2:57.60 |
| 1 | 3km Free | 2013/2014 | Oberhof, GER | 6:34.4 |
| 1 | 10km Classic | 2013/2014 | Dobbiaco, ITA | 26:54.2 |
| 1 | 15km Free | 2013/2014 | Davos, SUI | 35:34.4 |
| 1 | 4 x 5km Relay | 2013/2014 | Lillehammer, NOR | 58:38.9 |
| 1 | Overall Standings | 2013/2014 | Kuusamo, FIN | 43:42.1 |
| 2 | 5km Classic | 2013/2014 | Kuusamo, FIN | 13:36.7 |
| 3 | 10km Classic | 2013/2014 | Lillehammer, NOR | 25:25.0 |
| 3 | 10km Pursuit | 2013/2014 | Kuusamo, FIN | 27:02.4 |
LegendSP-Sprint, C-Classic, F-Freestyle, P-Pursuit, R-Relay, xkm/xkm-Skiathlon events, TSP-Team Sprint, Overall-Overall Standings Stage World Cup, DNS-Did not start, DNQ-Did not qualify for final race, DNF-Did not finish, DSQ-Disqualified
Additional Information
Start of sporting careerShe began competing at age seven and took up organised training at age 12. (maritbjoergen.no, 01 Feb 2011)
Reason for taking up this sport"My parents took me with them [when they went skiing]. I enjoyed it from the word go, I loved being outside in the mountains. We had a lot of friends who were also keen skiers. When I was seven I took part in my first competition. It was then that I knew I would like to do it more seriously." (fischer-ski.com, 23 Aug 2006)
AmbitionsTo win at least one gold medal at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. (fis-ski.com, 01 Feb 2014)
Most memorable sporting achievementWinning four gold medals and one silver medal at the 2013 World Championships in Val di Fiemme, Italy, repeating her medal tally from the previous world championships in 2011. (aipsmedia.com, 04 Mar 2013)
HeroNorwegian cross-country skiers Bjorn Daehlie and Bente Skari. (nettavisen.no, 29 Dec 2012)
Sporting philosophy / motto"You can never go out and just collect victories. There has to be a lot of preparation, concentration and hard work to win any race." (aipsmedia.com, 04 Mar 2013)
AwardsShe was named the 'Queen of Nordic Skiing' for the 2012/13 season by journalists of the Forum Nordicum. She also won the award for the 2010/11 season. (fis-ski.com, 2013)
She was named Best Female Athlete of 2011 by the International Sports Press Association [AIPS]. (aipsmedia.com, 04 Mar 2013)
In 2010 she received the Holmenkollen Medal, Norway's highest honour for winter athletes. (oslo2011.custompublish.com, 2010)
She was named Athlete of the Year for 2005 in Norway, as voted by the Norwegian sports journalists. (tv2.no, 02 Jan 2006)
GeneralMOST SUCCESSFUL
Her gold medal in the 30km mass start at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi made her the most successful female athlete in winter Olympic history. She equalled the record of six gold medals held by Lidia Skoblikova and Lyobov Yegorova, but has won more silver medals than both athletes. (ONS, 22 Feb 2014; SportsDeskOnline, 22 Feb 2014)
TURNING POINT
She began to doubt her abilities after a poor run of form culminating in a poor performance at the 2009 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic. She changed her training plan to focus more on the mental side and less on the physical side, leading to a change in form. (maritbjoergen.no, 01 Feb 2011)
OLDEST GOLD
She [33 years 324 days] became the oldest individual female gold medallist in cross-country skiing at the Olympic Winter Games when she won the 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon at the 2014 Games in Sochi. (ONS, 08 Feb 2014)
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