Lisbeth Korsmo-Berg

Lisbeth Korsmo-Berg was the first Norwegian woman to win an Olympic medal in speed skating. She did so in the 3,000 m at the 1976 Innsbruck Games, an incredibly close competition in which 0.05 seconds separated gold medallist Tatyana Averina and Korsmo-Berg. It was the only international medal she won, although she had listed several top performances, notably in 1971, when she placed fifth at the World and European Championships, and sixth at the World Sprints. In Norwegian Championships, she was much more successful, earning seven all-around titles (1971-72, 1974-78), as well as being a six-time runner-up.

She also claimed six national titles in the sprint (1971, 1974-78). Besides speed skating, Korsmo-Berg also did well in cycling, winning the Norwegian Road Racing Championships in 1981. By that time, she had already received the Egebergs Ærespris for her achievements in two different sports. She is married to fellow speed skater Terje Korsmo, who came in second in the 1972 Norwegian “B” Championships. With two children they lived in the municipality of Rælingen outside Oslo, where she worked as a teacher. Lisbeth Korsmo died from cancer in 2017, at age 69.

Personal Bests: 500 – 43.0 (1977); 1000 – 1:28.28 (1976); 1500 – 2:14.33 (1977); 3000 – 4:43.97 (1976).