{{short description|Norwegian cross-country skier}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox skier |name = Berit Aunli | nationality = {{NOR}} | image = Berit Aunli DEX PR 014268 (cropped).jpg | caption = Berit Aunli in March, 1981 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|06|09|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Stjørdal Municipality]], Norway | club =[[Strindheim IL]] | spouse = {{marriage|[[Ove Aunli]]|1979}} | seasons =5 – ([[1981–82 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1982]], [[1983–84 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1984]]–[[1986–87 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1987]]) | wins = 4 | totalpodiums = 10 | teamwins = 4 | teampodiums = 6 | individual_starts = 26 | team_starts = 6 | wcoveralls = 1 – ([[1981–82 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1982]]) | updated = 5 January 2019 | show-medals = no | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skiing]]}} {{MedalCountry | {{NOR}} }} {{Medal|Competition|International nordic ski competitions}} {{MedalCount |[[Cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics|Olympic Games]]|1|1|1 |[[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|World Championships]]|3|2|0 |'''Total'''|'''4'''|'''3'''|'''1''' <!-- Only senior championships counts --> }} {{MedalCompetition |[[Cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics|Olympic Games]]}} {{MedalGold|[[1984 Winter Olympics|1984 Sarajevo]]|[[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics – Women's 4 × 5 kilometre relay|4 × 5 km relay]] }} {{MedalSilver|1984 Sarajevo|[[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics – Women's 5 kilometres|5 km]]}} {{MedalBronze|[[1980 Winter Olympics|1980 Lake Placid]] | [[Cross-country skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics – Women's 4 × 5 kilometre relay|4 × 5 km relay]]}} {{MedalCompetition|[[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|World Championships]]}} {{MedalGold|[[1982 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|1982 Oslo]]|5 km}} {{MedalGold|1982 Oslo|10 km}} {{MedalGold|1982 Oslo|4 × 5 km relay}} {{MedalSilver|1982 Oslo|20 km}} {{MedalSilver|[[1985 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|1985 Seefeld]] |4 × 5 km relay}} }} '''Berit Kristine Aunli''' (née '''Kvello'''; born 9 June 1956) is a [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] former [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skier]]. She is a World (1982) and Olympic (1984) champion and won a total of 15 Norwegian titles (1977—1982).
== Personal life == Aunli has five siblings.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Kirkebøen |first=Stein Erik |url=https://www.nb.no/items/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2009070201083?page=111 |title=Idrettsjenter : veien til topps |publisher=[[Universitetsforlaget]] |year=1986 |isbn=8200357570 |location=Oslo |pages=111-120 |language=no |trans-title=Sports girls: the road to the top |chapter=Bernit Aunli: Jen tene skulle bare holde kjeft og være glad til |trans-chapter=Bernit Aunli: The girls should just shut up and be happy}}</ref> Her father, [[Kristen Kvello]], was a Norwegian cross-country skiing champion and a former national coach.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Berit Aunli-Kvello |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/au/berit-aunli-kvello-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417111038/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/au/berit-aunli-kvello-1.html |archive-date=2020-04-17 |website=sports-reference.com}}</ref>
She was inspired by fellow cross-country skier [[Berit Mørdre]] and marathon runner [[Grete Waitz]].<ref name=":0" /> She met her future husband, [[Ove Aunli]], while skiing when she was 15. They married in 1979 and have a son, Odd.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Citation |last=Andersen |first=Espen |title=Berit Aunli |date=2025-03-25 |work=Store norske leksikon |url=https://snl.no/Berit_Aunli |access-date=2025-04-11 |language=no}}</ref> A statue of the two of them was erected in [[Kyrksæterøra]] in June 2023.<ref name=":2" />
== Career == Aunli began training seriously in 1975 and competed in her first senior season in 1976, when she was 18.<ref name=":0" /> At the [[1976 Winter Olympics]], she placed 17th in [[Cross-country skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics – Women's 5 kilometre|the women's 5 km]] and 18th in [[Cross-country skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics – Women's 10 kilometre|the women's 10 km]].<ref name=":1" />
At the [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1978|1978 World Championships]], she placed 6th in both the 10 km and 20 km events, the best result of the Norwegian women.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Lahti (FIN) - Event Details - Cross-Country |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=CC&eventid=4876&seasoncode=1978 |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=[[International Ski and Snowboard Federation]] |language=en}}</ref> She became pregnant that year, and her husband received death threats as he was viewed as "ruining" her promising career. Aunli's pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, which she found mentally difficult.<ref name=":0" />
She won her first international championship medal as a member of the Norwegian team that won the bronze medal at the 4 × 5 km relay at the [[1980 Winter Olympics]]. However, she performed much more poorly in her individual events (13th and 18th place) due to illness, and she was criticized for this in Norwegian newspapers.<ref name=":0" />
Aunli had originally intended to retire after the 1980 Olympics, but she continued to compete after being disappointed in her performance there.<ref name=":0" /> Her real international breakthrough came at the [[1982 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships]], where her father was an announcer. She won three gold medals in the 5 km, 10 km and 4 × 5 km relay races, in addition to a silver medal in the 20 km classic, where she was beaten by [[Raisa Smetanina]] by 3.4 seconds.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Oslo (NOR) - Event Details - Cross-Country |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/event-details.html?sectorcode=CC&eventid=4884&seasoncode=1982 |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=[[International Ski and Snowboard Federation]] |language=en}}</ref> She also became the first winner of an official [[FIS Cross-Country World Cup|Cross-Country World Cup]] after her overall victory in the [[1981–82 FIS Cross-Country World Cup]].<ref name=":3" />
She took the 1983 season off as she wanted a break from competing and to have a child. Six weeks after giving birth to her son, she began skiing again.<ref name=":0" /> That year, she was awarded the [[Holmenkollen medal]] (shared with [[Tom Sandberg]]).<ref>{{Citation |last=Bryhn |first=Rolf |title=Holmenkollmedaljen |date=2025-03-17 |work=Store norske leksikon |trans-title=Holmenkoll Medal |url=https://snl.no/Holmenkollmedaljen |access-date=2025-04-11 |language=no |last2=Sundby |first2=Jørn}}</ref>
At the [[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics|1984 Winter Olympics]] in [[Sarajevo]], she won two medals: gold in the 4 × 5 km relay and silver in 5 km.<ref name=":1" />
She won a silver in the 4 × 5 km relay at the [[1985 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|1985 World Championships]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Cross-Country Results - Seefeld (AUT) 1984/1985 |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/results.html?sectorcode=CC&raceid=1882 |access-date=2025-04-11 |website=[[International Ski and Snowboard Federation]] |language=en}}</ref> In her individual events, she finished twice in 4th place and once in 6th.<ref name=":0" /> That year, she was awarded ''[[Morgenbladet|Morgenbladet's]]'' gold medal.<ref name=":2" />
Over her career, she won a total of 15 Norwegian Championships titles, 11 individual and 4 relays. She represented the club [[Strindheim IL]].<ref name=":2" />
Aunli was critical of media coverage of skiers during her career. She felt the press criticism of the older Norwegian women who competed with her at the 1976 Olympics, who did not have as good of results as the Soviet and Finnish skiers, was unduly harsh. She also thought that Norwegians did not take women's cross-country skiing seriously until the early 1980s, when they were highly successful at the [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|World Championships]]. In a 1986 interview, she recalled examples of a race being advertised as starting when the men's event began, after all the women had competed, as well as letters to the editor in [[Adresseavisen]] in 1980 debating whether women should compete at all. Aunli also said that girls had received less support from the [[Norwegian Ski Federation]] than boys, though she added, "Today we are treated equally".<ref name=":0" />
==Cross-country skiing results== All results are sourced from the [[International Ski Federation|International Ski Federation (FIS)]].<ref name="FISprofile">{{cite web |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=AUNLI KVELLO Berit |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/athlete-biography.html?sector=CC&competitorid=2171&type=st-WC |access-date=14 December 2019 |website=[[International Ski and Snowboard Federation]] |publisher=}}</ref>
===Olympic Games=== * 3 medals – (1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;"| Year ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"| Age ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 5 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 10 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 20 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 4 × 5 km <br> relay |- | [[Cross-country skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics|1976]] || ''19'' || [[Cross-country skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics – Women's 5 kilometre|17]] || [[Cross-country skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics – Women's 10 kilometre|18]] ||{{n/a}} || [[Cross-country skiing at the 1976 Winter Olympics – Women's 4 × 5 kilometre relay|5]] |- | [[Cross-country skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics|1980]] || ''23'' || [[Cross-country skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics – Women's 5 kilometre|14]] || [[Cross-country skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics – Women's 10 kilometre|13]] ||{{n/a}} ||bgcolor="cc9966"| [[Cross-country skiing at the 1980 Winter Olympics – Women's 4 × 5 kilometre relay|'''Bronze''']] |- | [[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics|1984]] || ''27'' || style="background:silver;"| [[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics – Women's 5 kilometre|'''Silver''']] ||[[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics – Women's 10 kilometre|4]] || [[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics – Women's 20 kilometre|—]] || style="background:gold;"|[[Cross-country skiing at the 1984 Winter Olympics – Women's 4 × 5 kilometre relay|'''Gold''']] |- |}
===World Championships=== * 5 medals – (3 gold, 2 silver) {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;"| Year ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"| Age ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 5 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 10 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 20 km ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| 4 × 5 km <br> relay |- | [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1978|1978]] || ''21'' || 7 ||6|| 6 || 5 |- | [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1980|1980]] || ''23'' ||{{n/a}} ||{{n/a}} ||7 ||{{n/a}} |- | [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1982|1982]] || ''25'' || style="background:gold;"|'''Gold''' ||style="background:gold;"|'''Gold''' ||style="background:silver;"|'''Silver''' || style="background:gold;"|'''Gold''' |- | [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1985|1985]] || ''28''|| 4 ||6 || 4 || style="background:silver;"|'''Silver''' |- |}
===World Cup=== ====Season standings==== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;"| Season ! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"| Age ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|Overall |- | [[1981–82 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1982]] || ''26'' ||style="background:gold;"| {{gold01}} |- | [[1983–84 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1984]] || ''28'' || 7 |- | [[1984–85 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1985]] || ''29'' || 14 |- | [[1985–86 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1986]] || ''30'' || 15 |- | [[1986–87 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1987]] || ''31'' || 41 |- |}
====Individual podiums==== *4 victories *10 podiums {| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" |- ! style="background-color:#369; color:white;"| No. ! style="background-color:#369; color:white;"| Season ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:120px;"| Date ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:200px;"| Location ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:160px;"| Race ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:130px;"| Level ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white;| Place |- | align=center|1 || rowspan=7 align=center|''' [[1981–82 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1981–82]] '''|| align=right| 15 January 1982 || align=left| {{flagicon|FRA}} [[La Bresse]], France || 5 km Individual || World Cup || 2nd |- | align=center|2 || bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right| 19 February 1982 || rowspan=3 align=left| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Holmenkollen National Arena|Oslo]], Norway || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 10 km Individual || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|World Championships{{ref label|worldcuprace|1}} || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st''' |- | align=center|3|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right| 22 February 1982 || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 5 km Individual || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|World Championships{{ref label|worldcuprace|1}} || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st''' |- | align=center|4|| align=right| 26 February 1982 || 5 km Individual ||World Championships{{ref label|worldcuprace|1}} || 2nd |- | align=center|5|| align=right| 6 March 1982 || align=left| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Lahti]], Finland || 10 km Individual ||World Cup || 2nd |- | align=center|6|| align=right| 28 March 1982 || align=left| {{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} [[Štrbské Pleso]], Czechoslovakia || 10 km Individual ||World Cup || 2nd |- | align=center|7|| align=right| 13 April 1982 || align=left| {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Kiruna]], Sweden || 5 km Individual ||World Cup || 2nd |- | align=center|8 || rowspan=2 align=center|''' [[1983–84 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1983–84]] '''|| align=right| 12 February 1984|| align=left| {{flagicon|YUG}} [[Sarajevo]], Yugoslavia || 5 km Individual || Olympic Games{{ref label|worldcuprace|1}} || 2nd |- | align=center|9 || bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right| 3 March 1984 || align=left| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Lahti]], Finland || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 5 km Individual || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|World Cup || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st''' |- | align=center|10 ||rowspan=1 align=center|'''[[1984–85 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1984–85]]'''|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right|18 December 1984 || align=left| {{flagicon|SWI}} [[Davos]], Switzerland || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 10 km Individual || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| World Cup || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st''' |- |}
====Team podiums====
* 4 victories * 6 podiums
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; background:#ffffff;" |- ! style="background-color:#369; color:white;"| No. ! style="background-color:#369; color:white;"| Season ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:120px;"| Date ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:170px;"| Location ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:170px;"| Race ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:130px;"| Level ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white;| Place ! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white;"| Teammates |- | align=center|1 ||rowspan=1 align=center|'''[[1981–82 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1981–82]]'''|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right| 24 February 1982 || align=left| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Holmenkollen National Arena|Oslo]], Norway || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 4 × 5 km Relay|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| World Championships{{ref label|worldcuprace|1}} || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st''' || [[Anette Bøe|Bøe]] / [[Inger Helene Nybråten|Nybråten]] / [[Brit Pettersen|Pettersen]] |- | align=center|2 ||rowspan=1 align=center|'''[[1983–84 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1983–84]]'''|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right|15 February 1984 || align=left| {{flagicon|YUG}} [[Sarajevo]], Yugoslavia || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 4 × 5 km Relay|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| Olympic Games{{ref label|worldcuprace|1}} || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st''' || [[Inger Helene Nybråten|Nybråten]] / [[Anne Jahren|Jahren]] / [[Brit Pettersen|Pettersen]] |- | align=center|3 || rowspan=2 align=center|''' [[1984–85 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1984–85]] '''|| align=right| 22 February 1985 || align=left| {{flagicon|AUT}} [[Seefeld in Tirol|Seefeld]], Austria || 4 × 5 km Relay || World Championships{{ref label|worldcuprace|1}} || 2nd || [[Anette Bøe|Bøe]] / [[Anne Jahren|Jahren]] / [[Grete Ingeborg Nykkelmo|Nykkelmo]] |- | align=center|4 || bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right| 17 March 1985 || align=left| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Holmenkollen National Arena|Oslo]], Norway || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 4 × 5 km Relay|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|World Cup || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st'''|| [[Grete Ingeborg Nykkelmo|Nykkelmo]] / [[Anne Jahren|Jahren]] / [[Anette Bøe|Bøe]] |- |align=center|5||rowspan=2 align=center|'''[[1985–86 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|1985–86]]'''|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right|1 March 1986 || align=left| {{flagicon|FIN}} [[Lahti]], Finland || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| 4 × 5 km Relay C|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6"| World Cup || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st''' || [[Brit Pettersen|Pettersen]] / [[Solveig Pedersen|Pedersen]] / [[Anne Jahren|Jahren]] |- | align=center|6|| align=right| 13 March 1986 || align=left| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Holmenkollen National Arena|Oslo]], Norway || 4 × 5 km Relay F ||World Cup || 2nd || [[Marianne Dahlmo|Dahlmo]] / [[Nina Skeime|Skeime]] / [[Anne Jahren|Jahren]] |- |} {{refbegin}} '''Note:''' {{note label|worldcuprace|1}} Until the [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 1999|1999 World Championships]] and the [[Cross-country skiing at the 1994 Winter Olympics|1994 Winter Olympics]], World Championship and Olympic races were included in the World Cup scoring system. {{refend}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{FIS cross-country skier|2171|Berit Aunli Kvello}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions XC Relay Women}} {{Footer World Champions XC 5km Women}} {{Footer World Champions XC 10km Women}} {{Footer World Champions XC Relay Women}} {{Footer World Cup Champions Cross-Country Skiing Women}} {{Holmenkollen medal}}
{{s-start}} {{succession box | title = [[Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year]] | before = [[Tom Lund]] | after = [[Grete Waitz]] | years = 1982 }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aunli, Berit}} [[Category:1956 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Cross-country skiers at the 1976 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Cross-country skiers at the 1980 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Cross-country skiers at the 1984 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Holmenkollen medalists]] [[Category:Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners]] [[Category:Norwegian female cross-country skiers]] [[Category:Olympic cross-country skiers for Norway]] [[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Norway]] [[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Norway]] [[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Norway]] [[Category:Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing]] [[Category:FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing]] [[Category:FIS Cross-Country World Cup champions]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1984 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:Medalists at the 1980 Winter Olympics]] [[Category:20th-century Norwegian sportswomen]]