Curling legend Thomas Olsrud passed away after a long battle with cancer. The 2010 world champion and silver medalist turned 50.
Elaine Grodale confirms her husband’s death on Tuesday. The couple have a son, Jesper Ulsrud (20).
– I think he was a completely unique man. Always positive and optimistic. He cared about others and wanted everyone well. He did not have a single enemy. Dinner was always ready when I got home, as long as he wasn’t traveling with curling, Eileen Grodal tells VG.
– He died at home. She adds that he did not want to be in the hospital.
Eileen Grodal also says that the husband was 100% sure that until his last day he would recover, and therefore would not tell the public about the disease. He was diagnosed with cancer a year and a half ago, in December 2020. The disease was discovered in the course of a routine examination by an Olympic physician, says Elaine Grodal.
It is very sad and seems very unfair, says Thomas Olsrud’s close friend and longtime colleague Torger Nergård.
He says he last visited Thomas Olsrud on Monday.
Thomas Olsrud led Norway’s curling team to the World Cup gold in Beijing eight years ago. Four years ago, he joined the “Ulsrud Team” Olympic silver medal in Vancouver. Then the team also got a lot of attention because of the dress style.
Thomas Olsrud, Torger Nergaard, Christopher Svay and Havard Vad Peterson played what have been described as clown pants. It was actually golf pants. Then the various “Team Ulsrud” costumes became a controversial – and widely discussed – brand. During the 2014 Olympics, The New York Times compared Norway’s national team customs at the time as a quirky version of the clothing style in “Ocean’s Eleven” — and Olsrud & Co. has become The main attraction of the American television giant NBC.
However, their athletic success was not in doubt. With Thomas Olsrud as president, the team won a number of medals at international tournaments, both before and after all the clothing changes. Thomas Olsrud has 12 European Championship medals, five World Cup medals, and an Olympic silver medal.
Already in 1988 he won a bronze medal in the junior water course.
After the sixth place in the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, he was “Team Ulsrud” was finally disbanded. He was 46 years old The largest participant in Norway At the Winter Games in South Korea.
However, Thomas Olsrud did not give up. He has tried his hand at mixed doubles and joined a national team consisting of, Stephen Walstad, Markus Høiberg and Magnus Vågberg. In 2019, it became clear that “Team Minera” is with Ulsrud as the ship will focus on the 2022 Beijing Olympics. two years ago Thomas Olsrud convinced former Olsrud teammate Torger Nergård (47) to become part of the Olympic team.
However, Thomas Olsrud was not around at that time Nergård with Steffen Walstad, Magnus Vågberg and Markus Høiberg – And Magnus Niedregoten As a reserve – the Olympic tournament was played in China in February of this year.
After undergoing surgery in May 2021, he told VG that his goal was to reach the 2022 Olympics. VG was also in contact with Ulsrud at the end of December five months ago. Then he had to start a new type of chemotherapy at Radiumhospitalet. He was very optimistic about the outcome of this treatment.
His wife, Elaine Grodale, says he underwent a total of 26 regimens of chemotherapy.
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