Anja Pärson, with her trademark belly-flop victory celebration (dubbed "the seal"), won the hearts of alpine ski fans in Sweden and around the globe. Her tally of six medals (including a gold in Turin in 2006), puts her among the most decorated Swedish Olympians ever. Perhaps most memorable, however, was her bronze in Vancouver in 2010, won following a spectacular crash that many feared would end her career.
If you're talking Swedish skiers from the 70s and 80s, it would be a crime if you didn't mention Ingemar Stenmark. He is an icon, one of Sweden's most successful athletes. He started skiing at the age of five and won his first national competition by age eight. He was something of a slalom master, claiming 86 international victories, 32 more than his nearest competitor. After a bronze in Innsbruck in 1976, Stenmark really made his mark with two golds at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.
When it comes to Olympic glory, no one can hold a candle to cross-country skier Sixten Jernberg. He won four golds in the winter Olympics throughout the fifties and sixties. He also won three silvers and two bronzes - nine in total - a record for Swedish winter Olympians. A lumberjack by original trade, Jernberg specialized in the 50 km event, and even won the Vasaloppet twice.
No one is more synonymous with Swedish male figure skaters of the 1920s than Gillis Grafström. You might recognize his name from the Grafström pirouette. This Stockholmer won the Olympic gold for men's figure skating at every winter Olympics in the twenties... that's 1920, 1924, and 1928 if you're playing at home). Add the silver in '32 and you've got the world's most successful Olympic figure skater on your hands.
2 Bonus points to Tina Torres (Sweden)
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