Håkon Brusveen

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Håkon Brusveen (15 July 1927 – 21 April 2021) was a Norwegian cross-country skier and a pioneering sports broadcaster. He grew up in Vingrom, Norway, and started skiing to help his chronic asthma.

Olympics and skiing career
- He competed in the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics in the 15 km and the 4×10 km relay.
- In 1960 he won gold in the 15 km, beating Sixten Jernberg by 3 seconds, and silver in the 4×10 km relay.
- In 1956 he finished fifth in the 15 km and fourth in the relay.
- He won the Norwegian national 30 km title in 1953, 1957, and 1958, and later opened a sports shop in Lillehammer.
- Brusveen was initially a reserve for the 1960 Norwegian team, but a personal recommendation from King Olav V helped him join the main team.

Later career and broadcasting
- After 1960 he tried biathlon but narrowly missed qualifying for the 1964 Olympics.
- From the 1960s he became a popular radio commentator for cross-country skiing with NRK, starting in 1963. He was a pioneer as a color commentator, often describing speed, technique, and riders’ looks from near the tracks, and he worked for NRK for about 35 years.
- He often teamed up with Bjørge Lillelien. His last broadcasting job was in 1997.

Awards and legacy
- He received the Holmenkollen Medal in 1958 and the Morgenbladet Gold Medal in 1960.
- A Brusveen exhibition opened at the Norwegian Olympic Museum in 2017 on his 90th birthday.

Death
- Brusveen died in Lillehammer at the age of 93 on 21 April 2021.