Thomas Wassberg

Thomas Wassberg is a Swedish former cross-country skier, born Lars Thomas Wassberg on 27 March 1956, who won four Olympic gold medals: the 15 km in 1980, the 50 km in 1984 and the 4 x 10 km relay in 1984 and 1988. At Lake Placid in 1980 he beat Finland's Juha Mieto by 0.01 seconds in the 15 km, the closest finish in Olympic cross-country history, after which the International Ski Federation moved to timing in tenths of a second. He carried the Swedish flag at the 1988 Games, won the World Cup in 1977, the Holmenkollen medal in 1980 and three World Championship golds, and a fast skating stroke is still called after him. Later he worked as a radio reporter, a coach for Åsarna IK and a forester.