Vasaloppet
Vasaloppet is a long distance cross-country ski race (Ski marathon) held in Dalecarlia, Sweden, annually on the first Sunday of March. It is the oldest, the longest, and the biggest cross-country ski race in the world. In the 80th race held on March 7, 2004 some 15,500 skiers competed in the main event, which is held over a distance of 90 kilometres between the village of Sälen and town of Mora. A total of more than 40,000 participated in one of the seven different races held during the first week of March. The race was started in 1922 being inspired by the run that the future King Gustav Vasa had made in 1520. Winner of the first race was Ernst Alm from Norsjö, who to date is also the youngest winner ever of the race.
History
In 1520 the young nobleman Gustav Ericsson Vasa was escaping from the troops of Christian II, king of Sweden and the countries of the Kalmar Union. A large part of the Swedish nobility was in opposition to the king, even having nicknamed him Christian the Tyrant. In a move to silence the opposition Christian invited the Swedish aristocracy to a reconciliation party in Stockholm, only to have them, including Gustav's parents, massacred in what came to be known as the Stockholm Bloodbath. Gustav was escaping through Dalecarlia, fearing for his life and discovery by the kings troops, when he spoke to the assembled men of Mora, trying to convince them to raise a levy and start a rebellion against king Christian. The men were not convinced and by ski, Gustav Vasa started to make his way towards Norway, to find refuge there, when he was caught up at Sälen, by two ski runners . The men in Mora had changed their minds and wanted Gustav to lead the rebellion. On June 6, 1523 Gustav Vasa was crowned king of Sweden, having beaten the Danish king Christian and dissolved the Kalmar Union.Sister Races
A sister race to the Swedish Vasaloppet is held annually on the 3rd Sunday of February in Mora, MN, USA. The American Vasaloppet features a 35K and 58K skate, a 42K classical race, and many other events in and around the town of Mora. The first place male and female racers in the American Vasaloppet win a trip to compete in the Swedish Vasaloppet.The Swedish Vasaloppet is a member race of the Worldloppet Ski Federation, a series of long distance cross country ski races.
Winners
| Year | Name | Club/Nation | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Oskar Svärd | Ulricehamns IF | 3.51.47 |
| 2004 | Anders Aukland | Norway | 3.48.42 |
| 2003 | Oskar Svärd | Sollefteå SK | 3.58.23 |
| 2002 | Daniel Tynell | Falun/Borlänge SK | 3.58.52 |
| 2001 | Henrik Eriksson | IFK Mora | 4.01.22 |
| 2000 | Raul Olle | Estonia | 4.14.38 |
| 1999 | Staffan Larsson | IFK Mora | 4.31.37 |
| 1998 | Peter Göransson | Åsarna IK | 3.38.57 |
| 1997 | Michail Botvinov | Austria | 4.11.41 |
| 1996 | Håkan Westin | Graningealliansen | 4.01.15 |
| 1995 | Sven-Erik Danielsson | Dala-Järna IK | 4.11.09 |
| 1994 | Jan Ottosson | Åsarna IK | 4.06.19 |
| 1993 | Håkan Westin | Graningealliansen | 4.02.10 |
| 1992 | Jan Ottosson | Åsarna IK | 3.57.04 |
| 1991 | Jan Ottosson | Åsarna IK | 5.07.11 |
| 1990 | Cancelled | ||
| 1989 | Jan Ottosson | Åsarna IK | 5.09.33 |
| 1988 | Anders Blomqvist Örjan Blomqvist | IFK Lidingö IFK Lidingö | 4.47.04 |
| 1987 | Anders Larsson | Bondsjöhöjden | 4.20.20 |
| 1986 | Bengt Hassis | Orsa IF | 3.48.55 |
| 1985 | Bengt Hassis | Orsa IF | 4.45.43 |
| 1984 | Hans Persson | Åsarna IK | 4.14.14 |
| 1983 | Konrad Hallenbarter | Switzerland | 3.58.08 |
| 1982 | Lasse Frykberg | IFK Mora | 4.28.50 |
| 1981 | Sven-Åke Lundbäck | IFK Råneå | 4.29.32 |
| 1980 | Walter Mayer | Austria | 4.08.02 |
| 1979 | Ola Hassis | Orsa IF | 4.05.58 |
| 1978 | Jean-Paul Pierrat | France | 5.20.12 |
| 1977 | Ivan Garanin | Soviet Union | 4.30.34 |
| 1976 | Matti Kuosku | Högbo IF | 4.09.07 |
| 1975 | Gert-Dietmar Klause | Östtyskland | 4.20.29 |
| 1974 | Matti Kuosku | Högbo IF | 5.06.23 |
| 1973 | Pauli Siitonen | Finland | 4.42.11 |
| 1972 | Lars-Arne Bölling | IFK Mora | 5.35.19 |
| 1971 | Ole Ellefsäter | Norway | 5.12.56 |
| 1970 | Lars-Arne Bölling | IFK Mora | 5.08.38 |
| 1969 | Janne Stefansson | Sälens IF | 4.50.07 |
| 1968 | Janne Stefansson | Sälens IF | 4.39.49 |
| 1967 | Assar Rönnlund | IFK Umeå | 5.20.22 |
| 1966 | Janne Stefansson | Sälens IF | 5.52.38 |
| 1965 | Janne Stefansson | Sälens IF | 4.35.03 |
| 1964 | Janne Stefansson | Sälens IF | 5.32.07 |
| 1963 | Janne Stefansson | Sälens IF | 4.56.25 |
| 1962 | Janne Stefansson | Sälens IF | 5.07.46 |
| 1961 | David Johansson | Delsbo IF | 4.45.10 |
| 1960 | Sixten Jernberg | Lima IF | 5.13.26 |
| 1959 | Sune Larsson | Oxbergs IF | 5.13.28 |
| 1958 | Gunnar Larsson | Oxbergs IF | 5.31.50 |
| 1957 | Gunnar Larsson | Oxbergs IF | 6.23.40 |
| 1956 | Sigvard Jonsson | Rossöns IK | 5.23.36 |
| 1955 | Sixten Jernberg | Lima IF | 5.27.28 |
| 1954 | Pekka Kuvaja | Finland | 6.22.51 |
| 1953 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 5.01.55 |
| 1952 | Sigfrid Mattsson | Skarpnäcks IF | 5.09.45 |
| 1951 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 5.27.20 |
| 1950 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 6.08.25 |
| 1949 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 5.44.09 |
| 1948 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 5.35.13 |
| 1947 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 5.59.35 |
| 1946 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 6.08.42 |
| 1945 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 6.27.59 |
| 1944 | Gösta Andersson | IFK Umeå | 5.18.43 |
| 1943 | Nils 'Mora-Nisse' Karlsson | IFK Mora | 5.47.10 |
| 1942 | Olle Wiklund | IFK Bergvik | 5.31.50 |
| 1941 | Mauritz Brännström | IFK Norsjö | 6.51.12 |
| 1940 | Arthur Häggblad | IFK Umeå | 6.23.57 |
| 1939 | Alfred Lif | Orsa IF | 5.35.59 |
| 1938 | Elias Nilsson | Östersunds SK | 5.48.28 |
| 1937 | Arthur Häggblad | IFK Umeå | 6.05.56 |
| 1936 | Sven Hansson | Lima IF | 6.31.55 |
| 1935 | Arthur Häggblad | IFK Umeå | 6.08.55 |
| 1934 | Cancelled | ||
| 1933 | Arthur Häggblad | IFK Umeå | 5.57.09 |
| 1932 | Cancelled | ||
| 1931 | Anders Ström | IFK Mora | 6.37.47 |
| 1930 | Verner Lundström | Arvidsjaurs IF | 6.56.30 |
| 1929 | J A Persson | Arjeplogs SK | 6.38.22 |
| 1928 | Per-Erik Hedlund Sven Utterström | Särna SK Bodens BK | 5.33.23 |
| 1927 | Konrad Pettersson | Luleå SK | 6.19.32 |
| 1926 | Per-Erik Hedlund | Malungs IF | 5.36.07 |
| 1925 | Sven Utterström | Bodens BK | 6.03.55 |
| 1924 | John Lindgren | IFK Umeå | 6.53.26 |
| 1923 | Oskar Lindberg | IFK Norsjö | 6.32.41 |
| 1922 | Ernst Alm | IFK Norsjö | 7.32.49 |