View source for Lars Berger

{{Short description|Norwegian biathlete and cross-country skier}}
{{Infobox biathlete <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Biathlon -->
| name              = Lars Berger
| image             = Lars Berger.JPG
| image_size        = 
| alt               = 
| caption           = 
| fullname          = Lars Berger
| nickname          = 
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|5|1}}
| birth_place       = [[Levanger Municipality]], [[Norway]]
| death_date        = 
| death_place       = 
| residence         = 
| occupation        = 
| height            = {{height|m=1.89|precision=0}}
| weight            = 
| website           = 
| disciplines       = '''[[Biathlon]]'''<br />[[Cross-country skiing (sport)|Cross-country skiing]]
| club              = '''Dombås IL'''<br />[[Byåsen IL]]
| skis              = 
| rifle             = 
| wcdebut           = '''4 January 2001'''<br />22 November 2003
| retired           = 27 April 2015
| olympicteams      = '''1''' ([[Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010]])<br />1 ([[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010]])
| olympicmedals     = '''0'''<br />1 (0 gold)
| olympicgolds      = 
| worldsteams       = '''7''' ([[Biathlon World Championships 2004|2004]], [[Biathlon World Championships 2005|2005]], [[Biathlon World Championships 2006|2006]], [[Biathlon World Championships 2007|2007]], [[Biathlon World Championships 2009|2009]], [[Biathlon World Championships 2011|2011]], [[Biathlon World Championships 2012|2012]])<br />2 ([[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005|2005]], [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007|2007]])
| worldsmedals      = '''5''' (1 gold)<br />3 (3 gold)
| worldsgolds       = 
| wcseasons         = '''14''' (2000/01–2013/14)
| wcraces           = 
| wcraceswithrelays = 
| wcwins            = {{unbulleted list | '''7''' (biathlon) | 0 (cross-country skiing)}}
| wcrelayswins      = {{unbulleted list | '''11''' (biathlon) | 1 (cross-country skiing)}}
| wcpodiums         = {{unbulleted list | '''16''' (biathlon) | 1 (cross-country skiing)}}
| wcrelayspodiums   = {{unbulleted list | '''27''' (biathlon) | 2 (cross-country skiing)}}
| wcoveralls        = 
| wctitles          = 
| show-medals       = 
| updated           = 
| medaltemplates    = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[biathlon]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{NOR}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Biathlon World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[Biathlon World Championships 2009|2009 Pyeongchang]]|4 × 7.5 km relay}}
{{MedalSilver|2004 Oberhof|15 km mass start}}
{{MedalSilver|2004 Oberhof|4 × 7.5 km relay}}
{{MedalSilver|[[Biathlon World Championships 2007|2007 Antholz-Anterselva]]|4 × 7.5 km relay}}
{{MedalSilver|[[Biathlon World Championships 2009|2009 Pyeongchang]]|10 km sprint}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skiing]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{NOR}}}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[Cross-country skiing at the Winter Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Vancouver]]|[[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 4 × 10 kilometre relay|4 × 10 km relay]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|2005 Oberstdorf]]|4 × 10 km relay}}
{{MedalGold|[[2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|2007 Sapporo]]|[[Cross-country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007|15 km]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|2007 Sapporo]]|[[Cross-country skiing at the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007|4 × 10 km relay]]}}
}}
'''Lars Berger''' (born 1 May 1979) is a former [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[biathlon|biathlete]] and [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skier]].

==Life and career==
Fellow former biathlete [[Tora Berger]] is his sister.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/other/tora-berger-wins-biathlon-sprint-in-germany-day-after-brother-lars-wins-race-113778654.html |title=Tora Berger wins biathlon sprint in Germany, day after brother Lars wins race|agency=Associated Press |date=15 January 2011|publisher=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]|access-date=25 February 2011}}</ref> Berger's family moved to [[Lesja Municipality]] in [[Oppland]] county in 1985. At the age of six, Berger started cross-country skiing, but during his teens he decided to try out biathlon.

Berger joined the national biathlon team in 2001. During the 2004 [[Biathlon World Championships]] in [[Oberhof, Germany]], he won silver medals in the 15&nbsp;km mass start and the 4 × 7.5&nbsp;km relay. Berger also won two gold medals in the military world championships that same year (cross-country and patrol). Berger finished fifth in the 2004 overall World Cup, and won several gold medals from the Norwegian Biathlon Championships. At the [[Biathlon World Championships 2007|2007 Biathlon World Championships]] in [[Rasen-Antholz]], [[Italy]], Berger was part of the Norwegian team that won silver in the 4 × 7.5&nbsp;km relay. After several disappointing races, mainly due to unstable shooting, Berger was thrown off the Norwegian national team ahead of the 2008/2009 season. He revenged this by retrieving two world cup victories in sprint events, a silver in the World Championship sprint, and contributed to the gold in the men's relay. He was regarded as perhaps the fastest skier on the biathlon tour, but his lack of shooting accuracy often prevented him from producing consistent and winning results.

Berger also competed in cross-country skiing from 2002. He won the 30&nbsp;km and relay at the 2003 Norwegian cross-country skiing championships in [[Molde Municipality]]. Berger won a gold in the 4 × 10&nbsp;km at the [[2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships]] in [[Oberstdorf]] and finished 4th in the 15&nbsp;km in those same championships. Berger won the gold medal in the 15&nbsp;km at the [[2007 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships|Nordic Skiing World Championships]] in [[Sapporo]] in 2007.

Berger is the first person to win medals at the World Championships in [[biathlon]] and [[Nordic skiing]] in the same year. He is also the only athlete to win gold in relays in both World Championships (in Nordic skiing in 2005 and 2007, in biathlon in 2009).

In 2014, Berger won gold medal in the men's 15&nbsp;km cross county skiing in the military world championship in [[Sodankylä]], Finland.

On 27 April 2015, Berger announced his retirement from the sport. He cited a "chronic knee injury" as his reason for retiring.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tingve |first=Pål Marius |date=27 April 2015 |title=Lars Berger legger opp |url=http://www.dagbladet.no/2015/04/27/sport/sportno/idrett/ski/skiskyting/38887833/ |newspaper=[[Dagbladet]] |access-date=27 April 2015 |language=no }}</ref>

Though Berger only participated in the 2010 Olympics, in both cross-country skiing and biathlon, he did travel to the Olympic Games as a reserve athlete in biathlon in both 2002 and 2014.

==Biathlon results==
All results are sourced from the [[International Biathlon Union]].<ref name="IBUprofile">{{cite web |url=http://services.biathlonresults.com/athletes.aspx?IbuId=BTNOR10105197901 |title=Lars Berger |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=IBU Datacenter |publisher=International Biathlon Union |access-date=24 June 2015}}</ref>

===Olympic Games===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- "
!Event
!style="width:70px;"|Individual
!style="width:70px;"|Sprint
!style="width:70px;"|Pursuit
!style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Mass start}}
!style="width:70px;"|Relay
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|Canada}} [[Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Vancouver]]
| —
| 46th
| 23rd
| —
| —
|}

===World Championships===
''5 medals (1 gold, 4 silver)''
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- "
!Event
!style="width:70px;"|Individual
!style="width:70px;"|Sprint
!style="width:70px;"|Pursuit
!style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Mass start}}
!style="width:70px;"|Relay
!style="width:70px;"|{{nowrap|Mixed relay}}
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|GER}} [[Biathlon World Championships 2004|2004 Oberhof]]
| 24th
| 14th
| 11th
| style="background:silver;"| '''Silver'''
| style="background:silver;"| '''Silver'''
| {{n/a}}
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Biathlon World Championships 2005|2005 Hochfilzen]]
| —
| 44th
| 32nd
| —
| —
| —
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|SLO}} [[Biathlon World Championships 2006|2006 Pokljuka]]
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| 23rd
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Biathlon World Championships 2007|2007 Antholz-Anterselva]]
| 49th
| 14th
| 11th
| 17th
| style="background:silver;"| '''Silver'''
| —
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|KOR}} [[Biathlon World Championships 2009|2009 Pyeongchang]]
| 34th
| style="background:silver;"| '''Silver'''
| 5th
| 29th
| style="background:gold;"| '''Gold'''
| 4th
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Biathlon World Championships 2011|2011 Khanty-Mansiysk]]
| 65th
| 14th
| 19th
| 14th
| —
| —
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|GER}} [[Biathlon World Championships 2012|2012 Ruhpolding]]
| —
| 32nd
| 40th
| —
| —
| —
|}
:''*During Olympic seasons competitions are only held for those events not included in the Olympic program.''
:''**The mixed relay was added as an event in 2005.''

===Overall record===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- "
! Result
! Individual
! Sprint
! Pursuit
! Mass start
! Relay
! Mixed relay
! Total
|- style="background:gold;"
| align=left | 1st place || – || 7 || – || – || 4 || – || '''11'''
|- style="background:silver;"
| align=left | 2nd place || – || 2 || 2 || 1 || 5 || – || '''10'''
|- style="background:#cfaa88;"
| align=left | 3rd place || – || 3 || 1 || – || 2 || – || '''6'''
|-
| align=left | 4–10 || 2 || 14 || 9 || 1 || 3 || 1 || '''30'''
|-
| align=left | 11–20 || – || 14 || 16 || 9 || 1 || 1 || '''41'''
|-
| align=left | 21–40 || 7 || 24 || 25 || 12 || – || 1 || '''69'''
|-
| align=left | 41–60 || 10 || 21 || 7 || – || – || – || '''38'''
|-
| align=left | Others || 4 || 4 || – || –  || – || – || '''8'''
|-
| align=left | DNF || – || – || – || – || – || – || '''0'''
|-
| align=left | DSQ || – || – || – || – || 1 || – || '''1'''
|-
| align=left | '''Starts''' || '''23''' || '''89''' || '''60''' || '''23''' || '''16''' || '''3''' ||'''214'''
|}
:''*Results in all UIPMB and IBU World Cup races.<ref name="IBUprofile"/>''

===Junior/Youth World Championships===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|- "
!Event
!style="width:70px;"|Individual
!style="width:70px;"|Sprint
!style="width:70px;"|Pursuit
!style="width:70px;"|Relay
|-
| align=left |{{flagicon|SLO}} 1999 [[Pokljuka]]
| 11th
| 9th
| 5th
| —
|}

===Individual victories===
''7 victories (7 Sp)''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Season
! Date
! Location
! Discipline
! Level
|-
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[2003–04 Biathlon World Cup|2003–04]]''' <br /> 3 victories <br /> (3 Sp) || 11 December 2003 ||{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Hochfilzen]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| 27 February 2004 ||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Lake Placid, New York|Lake Placid]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| 11 March 2004 ||{{flagicon|NOR}} [[Holmenkollen National Arena|Oslo Holmenkollen]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[2008–09 Biathlon World Cup|2008–09]]''' <br /> 2 victories <br /> (2 Sp) || 20 December 2008 ||{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Hochfilzen]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| 13 March 2009 ||{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Whistler Olympic Park|Vancouver]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[2010–11 Biathlon World Cup|2010–11]]''' <br /> 1 victory <br /> (1 Sp) || 14 January 2011 ||{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ruhpolding]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|-
| rowspan="1" style="text-align:center;"| '''[[2013–14 Biathlon World Cup|2013–14]]''' <br /> 1 victory <br /> (1 Sp) || 6 December 2013 ||{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Hochfilzen]]||10&nbsp;km sprint||[[Biathlon World Cup]]
|}
:''*Results are from UIPMB and IBU races which include the [[Biathlon World Cup]], [[Biathlon World Championships]] and the [[Winter Olympic Games]].''

==Cross-country skiing results==
All results are sourced from the [[International Ski Federation|International Ski Federation (FIS)]].<ref name="FISprofile">{{cite web |url=https://www.fis-ski.com/DB/general/athlete-biography.html?sector=CC&competitorid=73895&type=st-WC |title=BERGER Lars |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=FIS-Ski |publisher=International Ski Federation |access-date=6 January 2020}}</ref>

===Olympic Games===
* 1 medal – (1 silver)
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; border:grey solid 1px; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff;"
! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;"|&nbsp;Year&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"|&nbsp;Age&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;15&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;individual&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;30&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;skiathlon&nbsp; 
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;50&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;mass&nbsp;start&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;Sprint&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|&nbsp;4&nbsp;×&nbsp;10&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;relay&nbsp; 
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;Team&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;
|-
| [[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010]] || ''30'' || [[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 15 kilometre freestyle|—]] || [[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 30 kilometre pursuit|—]]   || [[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 50 kilometre classical|—]] || [[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's sprint|—]] || style="background:silver;"| [[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's 4 × 10 kilometre relay|'''Silver''']] || [[Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics – Men's team sprint|—]]
|-
|}
===World Championships===
* 3 medals – (3 gold)
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; border:grey solid 1px; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff;"
! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;"|&nbsp;Year&nbsp; 
! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;"|&nbsp;Age&nbsp; 
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;15&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;individual&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;30&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;skiathlon&nbsp; 
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;50&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;mass&nbsp;start&nbsp; 
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;Sprint&nbsp; 
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|&nbsp;4&nbsp;×&nbsp;10&nbsp;km&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;relay&nbsp;  
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"| &nbsp;Team&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;sprint&nbsp;
|-
| [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005|2005]] || ''25'' || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 – Men's 15 kilometre freestyle|4]] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 – Men's 30 kilometre pursuit|—]] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 – Men's 50 kilometre classical|—]] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 – Men's sprint|—]] || style="background:gold;"| [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 – Men's 4 × 10 kilometre relay|'''Gold''']] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2005 – Men's team sprint|—]]
|-
| [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007|2007]] || ''27'' || style="background:gold;"| [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 – Men's 15 kilometre freestyle|'''Gold''']] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 – Men's 30 kilometre pursuit|—]] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 – Men's 50 kilometre classical|—]] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 – Men's sprint|—]] || style="background:gold;"| [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 – Men's 4 × 10 kilometre relay|'''Gold''']] || [[FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2007 – Men's team sprint|—]]
|-
|}
===World Cup===
====Season standings====
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; border:grey solid 1px; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff;"
! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:60px;" rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Season&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#369; color:white; width:40px;" rowspan="2" |&nbsp;Age&nbsp;
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white;" colspan="3" |Discipline standings 
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white;" colspan="3" |Ski Tour standings
|-
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|Overall
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|Distance
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|Sprint
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|Nordic<br>Opening
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|Tour de<br>Ski
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white; width:75px;"|World Cup<br>Final
|-
| [[2003–04 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2004]] || ''24'' ||81  || 54 || — || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} 
|-
| [[2004–05 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2005]] || ''25'' || 93 || 59 || — || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} 
|-
| [[2005–06 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2006]] || ''26'' || {{Abbr|NC|Not classified}} || {{Abbr|NC|Not classified}}  || — || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}} || {{n/a}}
|-
| [[2006–07 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2007]] || ''27'' || 78 ||  46 ||  — || {{n/a}} ||  — || {{n/a}} 
|-
| [[2007–08 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2008]] || ''28'' ||144  || 85 ||  — || {{n/a}} ||   — ||   —
|-
| [[2009–10 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2010]] || ''30'' || 130 || 84 ||  — || {{n/a}} ||  — ||   —
|-
| [[2011–12 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2012]] || ''32'' ||  107|| 67 ||  — ||   —||  — ||   —
|-
|}
====Team podiums====
* 1 victory – (1 {{Abbr|RL|Relay}})
* 2 podiums – (2 {{Abbr|RL|Relay}})
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%; text-align:center; border:grey solid 1px; border-collapse:collapse; background:#ffffff;"
|- style="background:#efefef;"
! 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:100px;"| Level
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white;| Place
! style="background-color:#4180be; color:white;"| Teammates
|-
| align=center|1|| rowspan=1 align=center|[[2003–04 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2003–04]]|| align=right|23 November 2003 || align=left| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Beitostølen]], Norway || 4 × 10 km Relay C/F || World Cup || 2nd || [[Jens Arne Svartedal|Svartedal]] / [[Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset|Hjelmeset]] / [[Tore Ruud Hofstad|Hofstad]]
|-
| align=center|2 ||rowspan=1 align=center|[[2011–12 FIS Cross-Country World Cup|2011–12]]|| bgcolor="#BOEOE6" align=right| 20 November 2011 || align=left| {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Sjusjøen]], Norway || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|  4 × 10 km Relay C/F || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|World Cup || bgcolor="#BOEOE6"|'''1st'''|| [[Eldar Rønning|Rønning]] / [[Finn Hågen Krogh|Krogh]] / [[Petter Northug|Northug]]
|-
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IBU name|BTNOR10105197901}}
* {{FIS cross-country skier|73895}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box | title=[[Egebergs Ærespris]]| before=[[Stein Johnson]]| after=[[Frode Andresen]]| years=2006}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer World Champions Biathlon Relay Men}}
{{Footer World Champions XC 15km Men}}
{{Footer World Champions XC Relay Men}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Lars}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Norwegian male biathletes]]
[[Category:Norwegian male cross-country skiers]]
[[Category:Biathletes at the 2010 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Cross-country skiers at the 2010 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic biathletes for Norway]]
[[Category:Olympic cross-country skiers for Norway]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2010 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in cross-country skiing]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Norway]]
[[Category:Biathlon World Championships medalists]]
[[Category:FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medalists in cross-country skiing]]
[[Category:Holmenkollen Ski Festival winners]]
[[Category:People from Lesja Municipality]]
[[Category:Skiers from Innlandet]]