Bente Skari

Bente Skari
Full name	Bente Skari
Born	(1972-09-10) 10 September 1972 Nittedal, Akershus, Norway
Height	173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Ski club	Nittedal IL
World Cup career
Seasons	1992-2003
Individual wins	42
Indiv. podiums	60
Overall titles	2 (1998/99, 1999/00)
Medal record Women's cross-country skiing Representing Norway Olympic Games 2002 Salt Lake City 10 km classical 1998 Nagano 4 x 5 km 2002 Salt Lake City 4 × 5 km 1998 Nagano 5 km classical 2002 Salt Lake City 30 km classical World Championships 1999 Ramsau 5 km 2001 Lahti 10 km 2001 Lahti 15 km 2003 Val di Fiemme 10 km 2003 Val di Fiemme 15 km 1997 Trondheim 4 x 5 km 2001 Lahti 4 x 5 km

Bente Skari, née Martinsen, (born 10 September 1972) is a Norwegian former cross country skier. She is one of the most successful cross country skiers ever.

Career

She won her first Olympic medals in 1998, and won her first gold medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics, coming from behind to beat the favourites Olga Danilova and Julija Tchepalova in the last kilometers of the 10 km classical event. She also won a bronze medal in 30 km classical as well as a silver medal in the relay.

Additionally, she won five gold medals (5 km: 1999, 10 km: 2001, 2003, and 15 km: 2001, 2003) from the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships, as well as two silver (4 x 5 km: 1997, 2001) medals. She won the overall cross-country skiing World Cup four times before retiring after the 2002/2003 season.

Skari also won the women's 30 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival in 2003. In 2001 she received the Holmenkollen medal (shared with Adam Małysz and Thomas Alsgaard). Her father, Odd Martinsen, earned the Holmenkollen medal in 1969. They are the only father-daughter combination to ever win this prestigious honour.

In 1998, she won Tjejvasan.

FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011

In 2007, Skari was named as the first woman race administrator in cross country skiing. She assisted in the 2007-08 Tour de Ski, working as an assistant technical delegate in the events held in the Czech Republic. This is part of the Norwegian Ski Federation's effort to promote more women in management positions in skiing.

Personal life

Bente Skari was named Martinsen before marrying Geir Skari in 1999. She is the mother of three children, Filip, Oda and Selma.

References

• Bente Skari Martinsen at the International Ski Federation
• FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 February 12, 2008 article on Skari's role in the championships. - accessed March 12, 2008.
• Holmenkollen medalists - click Holmenkollmedaljen for downloadable pdf file (Norwegian)
• Holmenkollen winners since 1892 - click Vinnere for downloadable pdf file (Norwegian)