Bergens TF
Encyclopedia
Bergens Turnforening, often shortened to Bergens Turn is a Norwegian
sports club from Bergen
, founded in 1882. It has sections for athletics, orienteering
, gymnastics
and rhythmic gymnastics
. The biggest international success has come in gymnastics, where the club had multiple Olympic champions before the Second World War. In the same period the club saw its heyday in Norwegian athletics; it is now a feeder team of IL Gular
.
. He was a sportive pioneer who chaired the club from 1882 to 1888 and 1892 to 1897, and also the Norges Turn- og Gymnastikkforbund from 1899 to 1911 and the Norwegian National Confederation of Sports
from 1910 to 1914.
(1908, team and 1912, free system team), Bjarne Johnsen
(1912, free system team), Knud Leonard Knudsen
(1912, free system team), Tor Lund
(1912, free system team), Hans Beyer
(1912, free system team), Sigurd Jørgensen
(1912, free system team), Nils Opdahl
(1912, free system team), Jacob Opdahl
(1912, free system team and 1920, free system team), Lauritz Wigand-Larsen
(1920, free system team), Jakob Erstad (1920, free system team), and Otto Johannessen
(1920, free system team). Tore Lie represented Bergens TF, and was a 1972 Olympian.
, and ten in the standing long jump
. His personal bests were 1.77 metres in the standing high jump and 3.65 in the standing long jump, both of which were Norwegian records for some time. Jan W. Larsen won the standing long jump national championship in 1953, and took three other medals. He also took three silvers in the standing high jump.
The club saw its heyday before the Second World War. In the high jump
, J. Bergmann-Olsen became Norwegian champion in 1927 and won the silver in 1928. In the hurdles, Haakon Semeleng won a bronze medal (110 m) in 1923 and Ragnar Rødseter in 1937 (400 m). Jacob de Rytter Kielland won bronze medals in the shot put
and javelin throw
in 1901; Bjarne Meyer took a javelin bronze in 1928.
Peter Jersin won the 500 metres and 1500 metres
in 1901, Johan Eliassen took a 400 metres silver in 1903. The latter took a long jump bronze in 1903 as well. Bronze medals were claimed by Birger Hagemann in 1901 (100 metres
), Helge Svaar in 1958 and 1959 (200 metres
), and Kasper Slåttrem in 1937 (5000 metres
). The latter also won a decathlon silver medal in 1933, and a pentathlon bronze in 1934.
The club has had considerably less success among women. Synnøva Reiakvam, later married Borgen, became Norwegian high jump champion in 1955 and 1957, and also won medals in 1956 and 1958. She also won the standing high jump in 1957 and 1958, and bronze and silver in 1955 and 1956. Hallfrid Østerbø won the now-defunct event called swing-ball throw in 1953 and 1954.
The athletics section is now a feeder team of IL Gular
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
sports club from Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, founded in 1882. It has sections for athletics, orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
and rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or teams of competitors manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus: rope, clubs, hoop, ball, ribbon and Free . An individual athlete only manipulates 1 apparatus at a time...
. The biggest international success has come in gymnastics, where the club had multiple Olympic champions before the Second World War. In the same period the club saw its heyday in Norwegian athletics; it is now a feeder team of IL Gular
IL Gular
Idrottslaget Gular is a Norwegian athletics club from Bergen, founded in 1946. In the past it has had sections for handball, skiing, gymnastics and football....
.
General history
The club was founded on 5 March 1882, among others by Johan MartensJohan Martens
Johan Martens was a Norwegian ship broker, politician and sports official. He was a co-founder of Norges Turn- og Gymnastikkforbund in 1990, and chaired Norges Riksforbund for Idræt from 1910 to 1914. He represented the Liberal Party, in the City Council of Bergen during serveral...
. He was a sportive pioneer who chaired the club from 1882 to 1888 and 1892 to 1897, and also the Norges Turn- og Gymnastikkforbund from 1899 to 1911 and the Norwegian National Confederation of Sports
Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports is the umbrella organization for sport in Norway. It is the largest volunteering organization in Norway, with more than 2 million members, and 12000 sports clubs, in 19 region confederatons and 56 national federations...
from 1910 to 1914.
Gymnastics
Olympic medal winners include Sigvard SivertsenSigvard Sivertsen
Sigvard I. Sivertsen was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics and in the 1912 Summer Olympics.As a member of the Norwegian team, he won a silver medal in the gymnastics team event in 1908...
(1908, team and 1912, free system team), Bjarne Johnsen
Bjarne Johnsen
Bjarne Johnsen was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. He was born and died in Bergen, and represented Bergens TF.-References:...
(1912, free system team), Knud Leonard Knudsen
Knud Leonard Knudsen
Knud Leonard Knudsen was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. He was born in Ålesund and died in Bergen, and represented Bergens TF.-References:...
(1912, free system team), Tor Lund
Tor Lund
Tor Lund was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. He was born and died in Bergen, and represented Bergens TF.-References:...
(1912, free system team), Hans Beyer
Hans Beyer
Hans Anthon Beyer was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. He was born in Bergen and died in Mo i Rana, and represented Bergens TF.-References:...
(1912, free system team), Sigurd Jørgensen
Sigurd Jørgensen
Sigurd Gersdorf Jørgensen was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. He was born and died in Bergen, and represented Bergens TF.-References:...
(1912, free system team), Nils Opdahl
Nils Opdahl
Nils Opdahl was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. He was born and died in Bergen, was a brother of Jacob Opdahl, and represented Bergens TF.-References:...
(1912, free system team), Jacob Opdahl
Jacob Opdahl
Jacob Opdahl was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics and in the 1920 Summer Olympics....
(1912, free system team and 1920, free system team), Lauritz Wigand-Larsen
Lauritz Wigand-Larsen
Lauritz Wigand-Larsen was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. He was born and died in Bergen, and represented Bergens TF.-References:...
(1920, free system team), Jakob Erstad (1920, free system team), and Otto Johannessen
Otto Johannessen
Otto Olavus Johannessen was a Norwegian gymnast who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics.He was part of the Norwegian team, which won the gold medal in the gymnastics men's team, free system event. His affiliation was with Bergens TF. He died in New York City.-References:...
(1920, free system team). Tore Lie represented Bergens TF, and was a 1972 Olympian.
Athletics
The best known athlete to represent Bergens TF is Johan Christian Evandt, who dominated the standing jumps. Between 1956 and 1966 he won seven Norwegian titles in the standing high jumpStanding high jump
The standing high jump is an athletics event that was featured in the Olympics from 1900 to 1912.It is performed in the same way as high jump, with the difference being that the athlete stands still and jumps with both feet together....
, and ten in the standing long jump
Standing long jump
The standing long jump is an athletics event. It was an Olympic event until 1912.In performing the standing long jump, the jumper stands at a line marked on the ground with their feet slightly apart. The athlete takes off and lands using both feet, swinging their arms and bending their knees to...
. His personal bests were 1.77 metres in the standing high jump and 3.65 in the standing long jump, both of which were Norwegian records for some time. Jan W. Larsen won the standing long jump national championship in 1953, and took three other medals. He also took three silvers in the standing high jump.
The club saw its heyday before the Second World War. In the high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
, J. Bergmann-Olsen became Norwegian champion in 1927 and won the silver in 1928. In the hurdles, Haakon Semeleng won a bronze medal (110 m) in 1923 and Ragnar Rødseter in 1937 (400 m). Jacob de Rytter Kielland won bronze medals in the shot put
Shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
in 1901; Bjarne Meyer took a javelin bronze in 1928.
Peter Jersin won the 500 metres and 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
in 1901, Johan Eliassen took a 400 metres silver in 1903. The latter took a long jump bronze in 1903 as well. Bronze medals were claimed by Birger Hagemann in 1901 (100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
), Helge Svaar in 1958 and 1959 (200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
), and Kasper Slåttrem in 1937 (5000 metres
5000 metres
The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...
). The latter also won a decathlon silver medal in 1933, and a pentathlon bronze in 1934.
The club has had considerably less success among women. Synnøva Reiakvam, later married Borgen, became Norwegian high jump champion in 1955 and 1957, and also won medals in 1956 and 1958. She also won the standing high jump in 1957 and 1958, and bronze and silver in 1955 and 1956. Hallfrid Østerbø won the now-defunct event called swing-ball throw in 1953 and 1954.
The athletics section is now a feeder team of IL Gular
IL Gular
Idrottslaget Gular is a Norwegian athletics club from Bergen, founded in 1946. In the past it has had sections for handball, skiing, gymnastics and football....
.