Ole Ellefsæter (February 15, 1939 in Furnes, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

) is a retired sportsman from Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

. He chiefly competed in cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing

Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...

, and won two gold medals at the 1968 Winter Olympics

1968 Winter Olympics

The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1968 in Grenoble, France and opened on 6 February. Thirty-seven countries participated...

. At the 1966 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

1966 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships

The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1966 took place February 17–26, 1966 in Oslo, Norway at the Holmenkollen ski arena. This was the third time the Norwegian capital hosted this event having done so in 1930 and at the 1952 Winter Olympics...

 he won one gold (4 x 10 km) and one silver (15 km) medal, and in 1971 he became the first Norwegian to win Vasaloppet

Vasaloppet

Vasaloppet is an annual long distance cross-country ski race held on the first Sunday of March in northwestern Dalarna, Sweden between the village of Sälen and town of Mora. It is the oldest, one of the longest, and in popular consideration the biggest cross-country ski race in the world...

. Anders

Anders Aukland

Anders Aukland is a professional Norwegian cross-country skier who has won both Olympic and World Championship gold medals. He lives in Oslo....

 and Jørgen Aukland

Jørgen Aukland

Jørgen Aukland is a Norwegian cross-country skier, specialised on long distance skiing. He is the brother of Anders Aukland and Fredrik Aukland.He has his education from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences.-Sports merits:...

 are the only other Norwegians to win this ski race.
In 1967, Ellefsæter won the 50 km event at the Holmenkollen ski festival

Holmenkollen ski festival

The Holmenkollen Ski Festival is a traditional annual Nordic skiing event in Holmenkollen, Oslo, Norway. The full official name of the event is Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic. It takes place in March and has been arranged every year since 1892, except for 1898 and during World War II...

, the same year he was awarded the Holmenkollen medal

Holmenkollen medal

The Holmenkollen medal is Norwegian skiing's highest award for competitors. It signifies top placings in international championships and other international events, including the Holmenkollen events....

, shared with Toini Gustafsson

Toini Gustafsson

Toini Gustafsson-Rönnlund is a former Swedish cross country skier who competed during the 1960s. She competed in two Winter Olympics, earning a total of four medals. Gustafsson also competed several times at the Holmenkollen ski festival, winning three times at 10 km...

.

Ellefsæter also participated in athletics

Athletics (track and field)

Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...

, and won the national championships in 3,000 metres steeplechase

Steeplechase (athletics)

The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...

 six times in a row from 1960-1965. http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/nm/m3000h.htm His personal best time was 8:43.8 minutes, achieved on Bislett stadion

Bislett stadion

Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...

 in June 1962. This gives him a 26th place on the Norwegian all-time performers list. http://www.friidrett.no/friidrett/statistikk/at/sen/M3000H.htm

For his accomplishments in cross-country skiing and athletics, Ellefsæter received the Egebergs Ærespris

Egebergs Ærespris

The Egebergs Ærespris is a prize awarded to Norwegian athletes who excel in more than one sport. The prize was created by Ferdinand Julian Egeberg, and consists of a bronze statuette modelled by sculptor Magnus Vigrestad.-History:...

in 1965.