Tomas Gustafson, from Eskilstuna, won three Olympic Titles in 1984 and 1988.

He started his international career by winning the World Junior title in 1979 and 1980. In his first senior season he did not have much success, but the Swedish team got a new coach before the 1982 season - Norwegian Hans Næss, and this helped Tomas to reach the world top. After a thrilling fight with Rolf Falk-Larssen he won the European title in 1982 and set a World Record on the 10000 m - the last World Record to be set on Bislett.

In 1983 he became the first and only skater to have the lowest samalog points, and still not becoming World Champion. Rolf Falk-Larssen won the title with 3 distance wins.

In 1984 he won his first Olympic gold - 5000 m in Sarajevo - 2 hundredths of a second ahead of Igor Malkov. 6 days later Malkov beat Gustafson by 5 hundredths of a second, to win the 10000 m title. Between the Olympics,

Gustafson struggled through knee surgery, meningitis and the death of his father. In the Calgary 5000 m, Gustafson trailed Leo Visser's pace by 8 hundredths of a second with only 400 m to go. However he skated an exceptional final lap to win by a third of a second. In the 10000 m, Gustafson finally gained an easy victory, setting a new World Record and winning by almost eight seconds.

During his career he won 31 National Championships, out of which 7 were allround titles. In 1998, his wife, Elisabet, won an Olympic bronze medal in curling. Gustafson has been a member of the Swedish Olympic Committee and the Athletes' Commission of IOC. He was awarded the Oscar Mathisen Trophy in 1982 and 1988.

Highest rank on the Adelskalender: 2 (1990)

By Bjarte Hetland, last updated December 18, 2005