Olympic rowing champion Olaf Tufte has died at the age of 50. The Norwegian athlete, who won two Olympic gold medals, was found unconscious at his family farm and later died at a hospital in Oslo.
Tufte secured gold medals in the single sculls at the 2004 Athens and 2008 Beijing Summer Games. He also won a silver medal in the double sculls at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and a bronze in the same event at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games.
His Olympic career spanned seven consecutive Games, from Atlanta 1996 to Tokyo 2021. Tufte concluded his competitive career at the Tokyo Olympics at age 45, competing in the men's quadruple sculls. He earned six World Championship medals during his career, including two golds.
Beyond his rowing achievements, Tufte was involved in various other pursuits. He managed the family farm, served as a volunteer firefighter, and established businesses including a concrete company, a clothing brand named Tufte Wear, and a brewery. Following his retirement from competitive rowing, he also took on a coaching role for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, assisting Birgit Skarstein to a silver medal.
Tributes from the sporting world and beyond have highlighted Tufte's impact. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store described Tufte as "one of Norway’s greatest sporting heroes" and "a great role model to many." World Rowing remembered him as a "veteran mentor, still on the water, still leading by example."
Former rival Mahe Drysdale described Tufte as a "titan" and noted his ability to bring people together, calling him "the glue in our environment." Rally driver Petter Solberg referred to Tufte as a "role model" and a "genuinely wonderful human being."
Tufte is survived by his wife and two children.