Martinsen, Bente (1972–)

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Martinsen, Bente (1972–)

Norwegian cross-country skier. Name variations: Bente Skari. Born Sept 10, 1972, in Oslo, Norway; dau. of Odd Martinsen (Olympic gold medalist in 40K cross-country relay, 1968).

Won the World Cup overall (1999, 2000, 2003); won a bronze medal in the 5km and a silver medal for the 4×5km relay at Nagano Olympics (1998); won a gold medal in the 10km, a silver medal in the 4×5km classical/free and a bronze medal in the 30km at Salt Lake City (2002), the 1st Norwegian woman to win an Olympic cross-country gold medal.

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