Pernilla Wiberg Swedish skier Date of Birth: 15.10.1970 Country: Sweden

Biography of Pernilla Wiberg

Pernilla Wiberg, a Swedish alpine ski racer, was a true pride of Sweden during her career as an athlete. She not only won two Olympic gold medals but also achieved a total of 24 victories in the World Cup, winning at least once in each discipline. Only four other athletes in the history of the Cup have been able to accomplish this feat, besides Wiberg.

Wiberg began her sports career on a less successful note, as she failed to achieve remarkable results in the Junior World Championships in 1987 and 1988. However, in the early 1990s, her situation changed. In her first World Cup race in Vemdalen, Sweden, in 1990, she finished 5th in slalom. Five days later, she managed to secure the 3rd place in the slalom giant race. In 1991, Wiberg demonstrated that her previous season's performance was just the beginning. She won three World Cup races and claimed the gold medal in the slalom giant race at the World Championships in Saalbach.

Wiberg's athletic career continued until 2002, during which she achieved a series of impressive victories. In addition to her three existing World Cup medals, she won another 21. Wiberg proved to be an incredibly versatile athlete, as she won at least one race in each of the five disciplines represented in the Cup. The most productive season for Wiberg was 1996-1997, during which she easily won the overall World Cup title and became the slalom champion. However, she faced a major setback in the slalom giant race finals, finishing only 5th. Hilde Gerg took the title that seemed so close to Wiberg.

At the Olympic Games, Wiberg won the gold medal in the slalom giant race in Albertville in 1992 and the gold medal in the combination event in Lillehammer in 1994. These two victories made her the most successful athlete in the history of Swedish sports. In 1998, she won the silver medal in the downhill event in Nagano. Interestingly, Wiberg considers this medal to be the highlight of her sports career.

Her last appearance at the Olympics in 2002 did not yield any top-ten finishes. She finished 14th in the downhill and 12th in the super-G. The super-G race marked her final international competition as a skier. Soon after, Wiberg announced her retirement, with a knee operation playing a role in her decision.

Wiberg received several prestigious sports awards throughout her career. In 1991, she was honored with the Swedish sports award "Svenska Dagbladet" for her overall achievements and her brilliant victory in the slalom giant race at the World Championships. In the same year, and subsequently, she also received the "Jerringpriset" award. In 2002, Wiberg became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has since served on various committees within the organization. On September 2, 2008, the IOC announced that Wiberg would lead the commission, alongside Jacques Rogge, to analyze the candidates for hosting the 1st Winter Youth Olympic Games.