Ski legend Magne Myrmo dies: The last world champion on wooden skis

Norwegian cross-country skiing legend Magne Myrmo has died at the age of 82, his family confirmed to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Myrmo was one of the sport’s outstanding athletes of the 1970s and is remembered as the last world champion to win on wooden skis. At the 1974 World Championships in Falun, he captured the 15 km title using traditional wooden skis even as many rivals had already switched to new fiberglass equipment. Starting early, Myrmo produced a powerful finish to edge Vasily Rochko/Rotshev and East German star Gerhard Grimmer by fractions of a second; Grimmer fell on a descent near the finish on his fiberglass skis and finished 0.91 seconds behind, with Rotshev a further 0.6 seconds back.

Among Myrmo’s other major achievements was the silver medal in the 50 km at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo.

NRK expert Torgeir Bjørn described Myrmo as a calm, technically skilled skier who remained among Norway’s and the world’s best across distances for many years. In a 2003 interview with Aftenposten, Myrmo reflected that while world titles can fade from memory, being the last world champion on wooden skis might keep his name alive longer. In 2021 he spoke publicly about living with Alzheimer’s since 2014.