Aksel Lund Svindal was born on December 26, 1982 in Lørenskog, Norway. He is an accomplished Alpine Skier in the disciplines of Super G, Giant Slalom and Super Combined. He will be representing Norway in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver in those disciplines.
Svindal will be taking part in his second Olympic Games. He was a part of the 2006 Turin Olympics, where he had a solid performance. Svindal finished sixth in the Olympic Men's Giant Slalom and fifth in the Olympic Men's Super G. He was second after the first run of the combined but crashed on the second run to end up with a DNF. http://www.ski-db.com/db/profiles/421328.asphttp://www.aksellundsvindal.com/career
In his career, he has won 13 World Cup of Skiing events: four downhill, three giant slalom, five Super G and a combined. He also has 26 World Cup podiums and 75 World Cup top ten finishes.
He has won five World Championship medals: three gold, in the downhill and giant slalom in Åre in 2007 and then again in 2009 in Val d'Isere in the super combined. He also has a silver medal from the combined in Bormio in 2005 and a bronze in the Super G from 2009's championships held at Val d'Isere.
Svindal also has won a pair of overall World Cup titles, in 2007 and 2009. In addition, he does have four individual discipline titles: two in the Super G (2006 and 2009), and one each in the giant slalom and combined (2007).
He did have to overcome a serious injury sustained in 2007 on the Golden Eagle jump at Beaver Creek, Colorado. He missed nearly a year of action but returned in 2008 to win a World Cup race on that same mountain. http://www.aksellundsvindal.com/about_more/cms/16
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Svindal Beaver Creek Wipeout
This is a clip of the horrific incident that put Svindal out of skiing for nearly a year in Beaver Creek, Colorado in 2007. He crashed after a bad landing on a jump, lost his balance and careened through a safety fence.
Svindal suffered multiple broken bones in his face and also suffered a six inch laceration in his groin and abdomen. It would take nearly a year for him to get back in shape for World Cup competition, but as one can see, the injuries could have been much worse.
References
Fast Facts
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Full Name
Aksel Lund Svindal
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Date of Birth
December 26, 1982
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Birthplace
Lørenskog, Norway
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Representing Country
Norway
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Olympic Sport(s)
Alpine Skiing (Giant Slalom, Super G, combined)
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First Olympics
2006 (Torino)
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Olympic Medals
none
