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Lars Grini
Lars Grini
Lars Grini
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Lars Grini (born 29 June 1944) is a Norwegian former ski jumper who competed between 1966 and 1972.

Key Information

Career

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His best-known successes were at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, where he won a bronze medal in the individual large hill event, and another bronze medal in the individual normal hill at the 1970 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. He represented the club SFK Lyn.

On 10 February 1967, he set ski jumping distance world record at 147 metres (482 ft) on Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze in Oberstdorf, West Germany.[1][2][3]

On 11 February 1967, the next day, he set another world record at 150 metres (492 ft) also in Oberstdorf.[4][5]

Ski jumping world records

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Date Hill Location Metres Feet
10 February 1967   Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze Oberstdorf, West Germany 147 482
11 February 1967   Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze Oberstdorf, West Germany 150 492

References

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Lars Grini

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Lars Grini is a Norwegian former ski jumper known for setting the world ski flying record of 150 meters in Oberstdorf in 1967 and for winning the bronze medal in the large hill event at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Born on 29 June 1944 in Gran, he competed internationally from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, establishing himself as one of Norway's prominent ski jumpers during a competitive era in the sport. His achievements include a bronze medal on the normal hill at the 1970 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Štrbské Pleso and three Norwegian national titles on the normal hill in 1970 and 1973, and on the large hill in 1974. Grini's breakthrough came in 1965, when he placed third in the Norwegian national championships on the normal hill and finished second at Holmenkollen, where he bettered the hill record by two meters. Two years later, his 150-meter jump in Oberstdorf marked a historic milestone as the first official ski flying world record at that distance. At his only Olympic appearance in Grenoble in 1968, he secured bronze on the large hill while placing 13th on the normal hill. He retired from competitive ski jumping in 1976. Afterward, Grini worked for several years as a ski jumping expert commentator for Norwegian television and later became a professional breeder of trotter racehorses at his farm in Gran.

Early life

Birth and youth

Lars Grini was born on 29 June 1944 in Gran, Hadeland, Norway. Gran is located in Gran Municipality within the Hadeland region, where he spent his early years. Limited information is available about his childhood or youth beyond his birthplace, with no details on family background, education, or specific pre-competitive activities documented in primary biographical sources.

Ski jumping career

Early career and rise

Lars Grini's breakthrough in competitive ski jumping came in 1965 when he placed third at the Norwegian national championships on the normal hill. That same year, he finished second at the Holmenkollen event and set a hill record of 89 metres. Representing Ski- og Fotballklubben Lyn from Oslo, these results marked his rapid rise among Norway's top jumpers. Standing 182 cm tall, Grini began participating in international competitions around 1966 following his domestic successes. His early performances laid the foundation for further achievements in the sport, including notable jumps in subsequent years.

World record jumps

Lars Grini set world records in ski flying during a competition on the Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze in Oberstdorf, West Germany, in February 1967. On 10 February 1967, he achieved a distance of 147 metres to claim the world record. Later that same day, Kjell Sjöberg set a new world record of 148 metres. The following day, on 11 February 1967, Grini extended the world record to 150 metres (492 ft), which also marked his personal best in the discipline. These jumps were officially recognized as world records by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and occurred amid events in Oberstdorf, capitalizing on Grini's rising form from the 1965–1966 seasons. The 150-metre effort stood as the world record for a period and highlighted Grini's prowess in ski flying at the time.

Major international achievements

Lars Grini secured his place among elite ski jumpers with two bronze medals at major international championships. He won the bronze medal in the individual large hill event at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Following that success, Grini claimed another bronze medal in the individual normal hill at the 1970 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Vysoké Tatry (held at Štrbské Pleso). These podium finishes represented the highlights of his international career, during which he competed from 1966 to 1972.

National titles and later competitions

Lars Grini secured multiple Norwegian national championships in ski jumping during his career. He became Norwegian champion on the normal hill in 1970 and repeated the feat in 1973. In 1974, he won the Norwegian championship on the large hill, earning the Kongepokal as part of the victory. This 1974 title was decided at Kløvsteinbakken in Meldal, where Grini was crowned national champion. These domestic successes came during and after his primary international period, which concluded around 1972, with Grini maintaining some national-level activity into 1974. The 1974 large hill title marked his final Norwegian championship win.

Retirement and later years

End of active career

Lars Grini retired from international ski jumping competitions after the 1972 season, concluding a period of participation in events such as the Four Hills Tournament and World Championships. His international career had spanned from 1966 to 1972. He continued to compete at the national level, achieving his final major success by winning the Norwegian national large hill title in 1974. He retired from competitive ski jumping in 1976.

Later years

After retiring from competitive ski jumping in 1976, Grini worked for several years as a ski jumping expert commentator for Norwegian television. Later, he became a professional breeder of trotter racehorses at his farm in Gran.

Media appearances

Television and film credits

Lars Grini has made occasional appearances in television and film, exclusively as himself or through archive footage, with all credits directly connected to his ski jumping career and no involvement in acting, production, or other creative roles. He appeared as himself in the TV Mini Series 10th Winter Olympic Games (1968), which provided coverage of the Grenoble Winter Olympics where he competed. These appearances relate to his participation in the 1968 Olympics. Archive footage of Grini was later featured in the video production Fra Chamonix til Lillehammer (1993). No additional television or film credits are documented for him.

Legacy in media

Lars Grini's legacy in media is primarily preserved through archival sports coverage and historical documentation of his groundbreaking ski jumping achievements, particularly his world record jumps in 1967. Footage of these events, including his 147-meter and 150-meter jumps in Oberstdorf, has been digitized and shared on platforms like YouTube, allowing later generations to view his pioneering performances. These recordings serve as enduring visual records of his contributions to the sport, frequently referenced in discussions of ski flying history. Norwegian media outlets such as NRK continue to cite his records in articles on world record progressions and major competitions. Beyond this archival and occasional retrospective coverage tied to his athletic records and medals, Grini has no notable ongoing presence in broader media formats such as documentaries or popular portrayals.

Legacy

Impact on ski jumping

Lars Grini significantly influenced the development of ski jumping, particularly in the discipline of ski flying, through his groundbreaking world records in 1967. On 10 February 1967, he achieved a jump of 147 meters on the Heini-Klopfer-Skiflugschanze in Oberstdorf, setting a new world record. The following day, 11 February 1967, Grini bettered his own mark with a 150-meter jump at the same venue, becoming the first athlete to reach that distance and shattering the day-old record. These successive records advanced the frontiers of achievable distances in ski flying and underscored the rapid progress in equipment and technique during that era. As one of Norway's leading ski jumpers in the late 1960s, Grini competed among the sport's elite and contributed to maintaining the nation's dominance in international competitions. His bronze medal on the large hill at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble and his bronze medal on the normal hill at the 1970 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Strbske Pleso reinforced Norway's storied tradition in the sport. Grini's impact also built upon his earlier success at Holmenkollen, where he bettered the hill record in 1965.

Recognition

Lars Grini was awarded the Kongepokal (King's Cup) for winning the large hill event at the Norwegian National Ski Jumping Championships in 1974. This honor marked his third and final national title, highlighting his standing among Norway's top ski jumpers. His contributions to the sport are documented in the Store norske leksikon, a leading Norwegian encyclopedia, which includes a dedicated biographical entry on his career. Grini's achievements and historical significance are also preserved in official FIS records as part of the international ski jumping archive. No additional major awards or formal inductions into halls of fame are documented for him.
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