Jan Ottosson

Jan Ottosson made his World Cup début in December 1982 at Reit im Winkl over 15 km. One year later he won his first World Cup race in the very same race. Previously, he took part in the Nordic Ski World Championship in Oslo placing ninth over 15 km and fifth in the relay. At the next major event, the 1984 Olympic Winter Games in Sarajevo, he competed in the 30 km and 50 km races, and also won a gold medal in the relay, and he came back in 1988 to help Sweden win another gold medal in the relay. Ottosson participated again in the World Championships in 1989 and 1991.

For almost a decade Ottosson achieved consistent top 10 results. But in the season prior to the 1992 Olympic Games he was on decline hardly placing in the top 20. Nevertheless, he competed at both the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics for Sweden. After the Lillehammer Games he competed in one last World Cup race in Falun finishing his career with a final top 10 result. During his career he had 27 top 10 results in World Cup races including one victory, one second and three third places. He also won the Vasa run four times – 1989, 1991, 1992 and 1994, which earned him the nickname “Dynamite Otto,” though it was rarely used. Nationally, he was Swedish Champion in five different events individually (8 times champion) and in the relay with the excellent team from Åsarna IK (10 times between 1980 and 1994).

After his active career, Ottosson worked as an official on Berg’s Ski Gymnasium. He also ran a Vasaloppet training program helping others to prepare for the race. With a state-of-the-art ski grinding machine and a ski waxing business he optimized his patrons’ skis for the Vasa ski marathon. Starting in 2004 he occasionally ran marathons achieving his personal record of 2-39:20 at the age of 45 in the New York City Marathon.