Rolf Thorsen
Personal information
Birth nameRolf Bernt Thorsen
Born (1961-02-22) 22 February 1961 (age 63)
Zürich, Switzerland
Height191 cm (6 ft 3 in)
Weight90 kg (198 lb)
Sport
CountryNorway
SportRowing
ClubHorten RK[1]
Medal record
Men's rowing
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1988 Seoul Quadruple sculls
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona Quadruple sculls
World Rowing Championships
Gold medal – first place 1982 Luzern Double sculls
Gold medal – first place 1989 Bled Double sculls
Gold medal – first place 1994 Indianapolis Double sculls
Silver medal – second place 1983 Duisburg Double sculls
Silver medal – second place 1993 Račice Double sculls
Bronze medal – third place 1981 Munich Double sculls

Rolf Bernt Thorsen (born 22 February 1961) is a Norwegian former competition rower, world champion and Olympic medalist. He is a recipient of the Morgenbladet Gold Medal and the Thomas Keller Medal. Outside sports, he has assumed various leading administrative positions in the construction business.

Personal life

Thorsen was born in Zürich, Switzerland, on 22 February 1961, and is a brother of Espen Thorsen.[2][3]

Sports career

Thorsen received a silver medal in quadruple sculls at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, together with Alf Hansen, Vetle Vinje, and Lars Bjønness.[4] He also received a silver medal in quadruple sculls at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, together with Kjetil Undset, Per Sætersdal, and Lars Bjønness.[5] Thorsen is three times world champion in double sculls. In 1982 together with Alf Hansen, in 1989 with Lars Bjønness, and again in 1994 with Lars Bjønness.[1]

Thorsen has been president for the Norwegian Rowing Federation in the period from 2000 to 2010,[1] and also a board member of Særforbundenes Fellesorganisasjon.

He was awarded the Morgenbladet Gold Medal in 1989, and the Thomas Keller Medal in 1996.[1]

Business career

A construction engineer by education, Thorsen was managing director of NCC Property Development, a major commercial property developer across the Nordics from 2007 to 2014. 2014–2019 he was managing director for Oslo S Utvikling AS, a major developer of commercial and residential property in Norway.[1] 2019–2021 he served as CEO for the listed (Oslo Børs) residential developer Selvaag Bolig ASA. Thorsen currently heads the Norwegian real estate company Polaris Eiendom AS, as CEO.

Thorsen was one of the founding fathers of The Norwegian Green Building Council, that created and owns a nationised version of the environmental certification scheme BREEAM (BREEAM-NOR), and he headed the organisation as chair of the Board of Directors for 5 years (2014 - 2019). Currently Thorsen is member of the Board of Directors at NP Bygg AS, Agaia AS and the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Bryhn, Rolf. "Rolf Thorsen". In Bolstad, Erik (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Rolf Thorsen". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Rolf Thorsen". olympedia.org (in Norwegian). Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  4. ^ "1988 Summer Olympics – Seoul, South Korea – Rowing" Archived 31 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved on 12 May 2008)
  5. ^ "1992 Summer Olympics – Barcelona, Spain – Rowing" Archived 23 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved on 12 May 2008)

External links

World champions – Men's double sculls
Thomas Keller Medal recipients
Categories