Norwegian Olympic Skier Dies in Lightening Strike
17th July 2025
Olympic medallist and former Norway skier Audun Groenvold has died aged 49 after being struck by lightning. NEW
The Norwegian Ski Federation, NSF, said Groenvold was struck by lightning during a trip to a cabin.
He was taken to hospital but died on Tuesday night.
Groenvold was part of Norway’s Alpine skiing team before turning to freestyle and ski cross.
He won a ski cross bronze medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
He had one podium finish as a World Cup Alpine skier, finishing third in a downhill in Sierra Nevada, Spain, in 1999.
He also won a bronze medal in ski cross at the 2005 world championships, and the overall ski cross title in 2007.
After his professional skiing career he went on to become a national team coach and NSF board member.
The federation said that it had lost “an outstanding athlete” and “prominent figure”, adding “our thoughts go out to Audun’s family, friends and everyone who was close to him”.
The International Ski & Snowboard Federation, FIS, has extended its “heartfelt sympathies to Audun Groenvold’s friends, family, teammates and colleagues inside and outside of skiing and mourns the tragic loss of a great competitor and exceptional individual.”
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