Bjørnar Håkensmoen


Bjørnar Håkensmoen was the head coach of the Norwegian cross-country skiing team at the 2006 Winter Olympics. He rose to fame after offering Canadian skier Sara Renner his ski pole after hers broke during the Women's team sprint event. This act of sportsmanship allowed Renner to go on to claim the silver medal, edging Håkensmoen's Norwegian entry into fourth place.
Canada responded to this act of kindness with many gifts and gestures, including: