Mathias Glomnes

Mathias Glomnes was born on the family farm in Oppstryn close to the Norwegian west coast. He started his training as a teacher in the town of Stord, where he also took up shooting. Back home, he worked as a teacher in Stryn and became chairman of the Oppstryn shooting association, in 1893. Together with his wife Samueline “Samma”, whom he married in the following year, he had 10 children. In 1900, the family moved to Oslo, then Kristiania. There, Glomnes joined the Kristiania Nordre Skytterlag and was appointed secretary of the shooting team. He later established a wholesale business in fruit and canned food.

While still living in Oppstryn, Glomnes competed for the first time at the National Shooting Festival placing sixth in 1900. In 1903, he placed second behind shooting king Jul Braathe. In 1906, he won the competition to become shooting king and became the first winner of the newly awarded King Haakon VII’s Cup. He repeated this feat in 1907 in Oslo to become the first shooter winning the tournament twice. Nevertheless, he did not get the King’s Cup again because it could only be received once per athlete. He represented Norway in rifle events at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games. His best results at these Olympics was sixth place with the military rifle team on both occasions.

Mathias Glomnes held the position of chairman of Kristiania Nordre Skytterlag for 25 years and was a member of the board of the Kristiania Shooters’ Association for 28 years. With the association’s team he won the joint shooting at the National Shooting Championships in 1910. His son Sverre Glomnes (1904–1988) continued the family tradition and became shooting king in 1933.