Gunnar Gundersen

Biographical information

RolesCompeted in Olympic Games
SexMale
Full nameGunnar Adolf•Gundersen
Used nameGunnar•Gundersen
Born21 May 1956 in Flisa, Åsnes, Innlandet (NOR)
Measurements197 cm / 93 kg
AffiliationsÅsnes Idrettslag
NOC Norway

Biography

Gunnar Gundersen was Norway’s dominant medley swimmer in the mid-1970s, winning 18 national championship titles in the years 1973-76 and setting a total of 23 Norwegian records, most of them in the medley events. He was Nordic Champion in the 200 m medley in 1973. In 1975 he received a scholarship from the University of Wisconsin, where he studied economics. After the 1976 Olympics he quit top-level sport and gave priority to his studies. He finished his degree in economics in 1979, and after that he specialized in forestry economy at the U Cal Berkeley. After working three years as a research assistant at the Norwegian College of Agriculture, he became a successful businessman in his home municipality Åsnes. In 2005 he was elected as a member of the Norwegian parliament (Storting) for the Conservative Party (Høyre), and in September 2009 he was re-elected for another four-year term. His old swimming coach, Lars Petter Heggelund has been the mayor of Åsnes since 2007, representing the Liberal Party (Venstre).

Results

Games Discipline (Sport) / Event NOC / Team Pos Medal As
1976 Summer Olympics Swimming (Aquatics) NOR Gunnar Gundersen
400 metres Individual Medley, Men (Olympic) 19

Special Notes