Olympian Audun Groenvold Dead at 49 After Being Struck by Lightning
The sports community is mourning a tragic loss.
Olympian Audun Groenvold, who earned a bronze medal in men's ski cross at the 2010 Vancouver Games, died July 15 after being struck by lightning, the Norwegian Ski Federation announced. He was 49.
'It is with great sadness that we have received the news of Audun Groenvold's untimely passing,' the federation said in a statement July 16, translated from Norwegian. 'The former national alpine and ski cross athlete was recently struck by lightning during a cabin trip.'
The organization added that Groenvold 'was quickly taken to hospital and treated for the injuries he sustained in the lightning strike,' but ultimately did not survive the occurrence.
Groenvold began his career as a member of Norway's national alpine skiing team from the 1993/1994 season to the 2003/2004 season, scoring a third place finish at the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup finals in Spain in 1999.
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He later broke into freestyle and ski cross, leading to a bronze medal in ski cross at the FIS Freestyle World Ski Championships in 2005 as well as a Ski Cross World Cup win two years later. Following his Olympic showing in 2010, Groenvold became a national team coach and TV commentator while also serving on the board of the Norwegian Ski Association.
In the wake of Groenvold's passing, Norwegian Ski Federation president Tove Moe Dyrhaug lauded him as 'a prominent figure who has meant so much to both the alpine and freestyle communities.'
'Audun had a great career in both alpine skiing and ski cross, before becoming the national ski cross coach,' Dyrhaug said in the release, translated from Norwegian, adding that the late athlete's death leaves 'a big void.'
Groenvold is survived by his wife, Kristin Tandberg Haugsjå, along with their three children.
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