30 Olympic athletes who dominated their events

7. Bjørn Dæhlie

Speaking of Game of Thrones, here’s an Olympic athlete you might just want to refer to as the King in the North. Bjørn Dæhlie hails from the snowy nation of Norway, so it should come as no surprise that he’s really, really good at skiing. So good, in fact, that the red-headed Scandinavian sensation has won a total of 12 Olympic medals in men’s cross-country skiing, eight of which are gold. That mark ties him with fellow Norwegian Ole Einar Bjørndalen for first place on the list of Winter Olympic Games athletes who have won multiple gold medals, as both captured eight over the course of their careers.

Dæhlie spread his success out over the course of three different Winter Games, competing in five different categories and medalling four times at each Olympics. He also racked up 17 World Championship medals before retiring in 1999 due to a career-ending roller skiing injury.

Even though he was an especially dominant competitor, Dæhlie still routinely found ways to display his sportsmanship and class. He famously waited 20 minutes at the finish line of the 10 kilometer race he had already won, just so he could offer encouragement to his friend and fellow competitor Phillip Boit, the first Kenyan athlete to ever compete at the Winter Games.

After hanging up his skis, Dæhlie brought his winning ways to other interests and endeavors in business, entertainment, and fashion. He remains to this day one of the most celebrated and popular athletes in Norway.

Next: 6. Birgit Fischer