Skip to main content
See every side of every news story
Published loading...Updated

Olympic Rowing Great Olaf Tufte Who Competed at Seven Summer Games Has Died at Age 50

World Rowing said he competed at seven straight Summer Games and won two Olympic gold medals, while later coaching Birgit Skarstein to Paralympic silver.

  • On Tuesday, Norwegian Olympic rowing legend Olaf Tufte died after being found unconscious at his family farm and passing away at an Oslo hospital. A seven-time Summer Olympian, he won two gold medals.
  • Spanning from Atlanta in 1996 to the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Tufte competed at seven consecutive Summer Games. He claimed back-to-back gold titles in Athens and Beijing, while also securing silver in Sydney and bronze in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Managing a family farm, working as a volunteer firefighter, and building businesses like Tufte Wear, the athlete also coached Birgit Skarstein to a silver medal in single sculls at the Paris Paralympic Games.
  • Honoring the rowing legend, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr stated Tufte 'brought immense joy through sport to us as a nation.' Tufte is survived by his wife and two children.
  • Reflecting his relentless work ethic, Tufte once famously noted, 'I'm not made for resting,' a sentiment World Rowing echoed, remembering the veteran mentor as a 'great role model' who remained active until the end.
Insights by Ground AI

77 Articles

Lean Right

Olaf Tufte's death, at the age of 50, closes the trajectory of one of the greatest rowers in sport history. Owned two Olympic golds and four medals at the Games, the Norwegian played seven consecutive editions of the Olympics over 25 years and became one of the longest and most respected athletes in the world rowing. The family reported that he was found unconscious on the farm where he lived in Norway and died after being taken by helicopter to…

·Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Read Full Article
Lean Right

The world of canoeing is in mourning after the death of former Norwegian champion Olaf Tufte. Double Olympic champion died on Tuesday, at the age of 50, the news being confirmed by his family. Article Doliu in sport. Double Olympic champion at canoeing died at the age of 50 appears first in Romania TV.

Think freely.Subscribe and get full access to Ground NewsSubscriptions start at $9.99/yearSubscribe

Bias Distribution

  • 41% of the sources lean Right
41% Right

Factuality Info Icon

To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium

Ownership

Info Icon

To view ownership data please Upgrade to Vantage

VG broke the news in Oslo, Norway on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
Too Big Arrow Icon
Sources are mostly out of (0)

Similar News Topics

News
Feed Dots Icon
For You
Search Icon
Search
Blindspot LogoBlindspotLocal