Vasaloppet

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Vasaloppet is named after Gustav Vasa's aborted escape in 1520.

Vasaloppet is a long distance cross-country ski race (ski marathon) held in Dalarna, 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.

Contents

1 History
2 Sister Races
3 World cup race
4 Vasaloppet week
5 Winners
6 See also
7 External links

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. Swedish kings have at a few occasions ordered murders on their opponents, but that has never been tolerated.

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 after getting confirmation on the Stockholm events, 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. Sweden has been fully independent ever since.

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 35km and 58km skate, a 42km 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 Chinese Vasaloppet has been held in Changchun since 2003.

World cup race

The Swedish Vasaloppet is a member race of the Worldloppet Ski Federation, a series of long distance cross country ski races.

The Swedish Vasaloppet is a member race of the Cross-country skiing World Cup 2006 is the first time.

The men return to the cross-country tracks on Sunday 5 2006 in the colossal 90km classic Vasaloppet race in More Sweden. Most of the big guns have decided to sit this one out due to it being so close to the closure of the Olympic Games in Turin and will be recovering from its demanding schedule.

Vasaloppet week

Tjejvasan start 2006

The week preceding Vasaloppet is known as Vasaloppet week. Races held during this week include:

KortVasan (short - 30km)
TjejVasan (ladies - 30km)
HalvVasan (half - 45km)
Öppet spår (non-competitive 90km)
StafettVasan (relay 90km)
SkejtVasan (free technique 30km and 45km).

Winners

Year	Name	Club/Nation	Time
2006	Daniel Tynell	Grycksbo IF OK	4.34.09
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	East Germany	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 Ellefsæter	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 (skier)	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

External links

[Vasaloppet] - Official Swedish Site
[American Vasaloppet] - Mora, MN, USA Race Site

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