Sigmund Ruud
Encyclopedia
Sigmund Ruud was a Norwegian
ski jumper
.
Born in Kongsberg
, Norway
, Sigmund Ruud, with his brothers Birger
and Asbjørn
, dominated ski jumping in the 1920s and 1930s. At the 1928 Winter Olympics
in St. Moritz
, Sigmund earned a silver medal in the ski jumping competition. At the 1929 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
, he won the ski jumping competition while earning a bronze at the 1930 event. Sigmund also competed in the ski jumping competition at the Holmenkollen ski festival
, which first began in 1933. He also competed at the 1932 Winter Olympics
in the ski jumping event
, but finished 7th. Additionally, Sigmund wanted to compete in the first alpine skiing events
at the 1936 Winter Olympics
, though he did not start.
Sigmund Ruud and fellow Norwegian ski jumper Jacob Tullin Thams
are considered co-creators of the Kongsberger technique
after World War I
, a ski jumping technique that was the standard until it was superseded by the Daescher technique
in the 1950s.
For his contributions in ski jumping, Sigmund earned the Holmenkollen medal
in 1949, the last of the three Ruud brothers to do so. Ironically, Sigmund was the only one of the three not to win the Holmenkollen ski jumping competition.
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...
ski jumper
Ski jumping
Ski jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
.
Born in Kongsberg
Kongsberg
is a town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is located at the southern end of the traditional region of Numedal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kongsberg....
, Norway
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...
, Sigmund Ruud, with his brothers Birger
Birger Ruud
Birger Ruud was a Norwegian ski jumper.Born in Kongsberg, Birger Ruud, with his brothers Sigmund and Asbjørn, dominated international jumping in the 1930s, winning three world championships in 1931, 1935 and 1937. Ruud also won the Olympic gold medal in 1932 and 1936...
and Asbjørn
Asbjørn Ruud
Asbjørn Ruud was a Norwegian ski jumper.Born in Kongsberg, Asbjørn Ruud, with his brothers Birger and Sigmund, dominated international ski jumping in the 1930s. Ruud won the gold in the ski jump at the 1938 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships...
, dominated ski jumping in the 1920s and 1930s. At the 1928 Winter Olympics
1928 Winter Olympics
The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated February 11–19, 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The 1928 Games were the first true Winter Olympics held on its own as they were not in conjunction with a Summer Olympics...
in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Sigmund earned a silver medal in the ski jumping competition. At the 1929 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
1929 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships
The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1929 took place February 5-9, 1929 in Zakopane, Poland.- 17 km :February 7, 1929- 50 km :February 9, 1929- Individual :February 5, 1929- Individual large hill :February 5, 1929-Medal table:...
, he won the ski jumping competition while earning a bronze at the 1930 event. Sigmund also competed in the ski jumping competition at the Holmenkollen ski festival
Holmenkollen ski festival
The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...
, which first began in 1933. He also competed at the 1932 Winter Olympics
1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 and closed on February 15. It would be the first winter olympics held in the United...
in the ski jumping event
Ski jumping at the 1932 Winter Olympics
At the 1932 Winter Olympics one individual ski jumping event was contested. It was held on Friday, February 12, 1932.-Medalists:-Results:The competition took place at "Intervales Hill" with a K-Point of 61 meters .-Participating nations:...
, but finished 7th. Additionally, Sigmund wanted to compete in the first alpine skiing events
Alpine skiing at the 1936 Winter Olympics - Men's combined
The men's alpine skiing combined event was part of the alpine skiing at the 1936 Winter Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of the event...
at the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
, though he did not start.
Sigmund Ruud and fellow Norwegian ski jumper Jacob Tullin Thams
Jacob Tullin Thams
Jacob Tullin "Tulla" Thams was a Norwegian Olympian. He won the first Olympic ski jumping gold medal in 1924, and became the third person to medal in both the Winter and Summer Olympics in 1936 as a member of the silver medal-winning...
are considered co-creators of the Kongsberger technique
Kongsberger technique
The Kongsberger technique in ski jumping was created in Kongsberg, Norway by Jacob Tullin Thams and Sigmund Ruud. The technique was developed after World War I, and was characterized by the upper body being bent at the hip, and arms extended at the front with the skis parallel to each other...
after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, a ski jumping technique that was the standard until it was superseded by the Daescher technique
Daescher technique
The Daescher technique is a ski jumping technique that was created by Andreas Daescher of Switzerland. This technique was created in the 1950s as a modification of the Kongsberger technique where the arms are placed backward toward the hips for a closer lean...
in the 1950s.
For his contributions in ski jumping, Sigmund earned the Holmenkollen medal
Holmenkollen medal
The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....
in 1949, the last of the three Ruud brothers to do so. Ironically, Sigmund was the only one of the three not to win the Holmenkollen ski jumping competition.