Lars Bystøl

Lars Kristian Bystøl, born on 4 December 1978, is a Norwegian former ski jumper who competed at the top level from 2002 to 2008. He took part in the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, and his career peaked in the 2005-06 season. He won his only World Cup event on 4 January 2006, the third competition of the Four Hills Tournament in Innsbruck, and eleven days later took team gold at the 2006 Ski Flying World Championships in Bad Mitterndorf. At the 2006 Winter Olympics he qualified for the normal hill despite being disqualified in the qualifying round, stood sixth after the first jump and then won the individual normal hill gold medal with a second jump of 103.5 metres; he also took bronze in the large hill individual and team events at those Games. He finished 13th in the overall World Cup standings that season. Away from the hill his career was marked by alcohol problems that led to his removal from the national team in 2004, a return to the squad and, in 2009, an admitted positive test for cannabis.