FIS would like to express deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Sixten Jernberg. Sixten Jernberg died on Saturday morning at the hospital aged 83. The Olmypic champion passed away only a few weeks after another outstanding skier Nils Karlsson.
Sixten Jernberg died after a short illness. Only a few skiers could compare with Sixten Jernberg and his four Olympic gold medals and four World Champion titles. For his whole career Jernberg competed for his club Lima SF and collected during his successful career 15 medals from the Olympic Games and World Championships and became twice the winner of the famous Vasaloppet in 1955 and 1960. His biggest success came in 1956 at the Winter Olmypic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo where he claimed the gold medal over 50 km.
"We have lost a legend, a champion who meant a lot for Swedish and international winter sports. Sixten Jernberg had charisma, which he showed both delivered both in and outside the ski tracks at the time when television began broadcasting Cross-Country skiing. Sixten's PR value for our sport is immeasurable. He was the people's hero, the forest man, tough guy and the winner with a big and warm heart", Swedish Ski Association's Per-Åke "Perra" Yttergård says.
Within a month the Swedish Cross-Country lost two fantastic skiing kings and legends. Nils "Mora-Nisse" Karlsson and Sixten Jernberg.
