Gabriel Gledhill skied 50 kilometers (32 miles) through the Holmenkollen World Cup course last Saturday while downing more than 12 beers and several shots of Jägermeister. He finished 67th out of 75 starters. The following week, he faces deportation from the country he has called home for five years.
The 23-year-old British cross-country skier admitted to being intoxicated after crossing the finish line. Speaking to Scandinavian media, he said, ”It was incredibly fun. I’m pretty drunk. I started drinking beer and schnapps during the third lap. It was a crazy experience.”
Fans offered him beers and shots throughout the race, which he accepted openly. Despite finishing 67th, he didn’t hide his condition. An Instagram video (below) shared by the International Ski Federation shows Gledhill stopping by the side of the course, accepting cans from spectators, and drinking from them.
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Gledhill finished over 20 minutes behind race winner Einar Hedegart of Norway. He was overtaken by the leading women’s field, who started 45 minutes later, and finished alongside skiers like Frida Karlsson and Jessie Diggins. He defended his decision, saying Diggins and Linn Svahn were grateful for the company and that he didn’t spoil anyone’s race.
For Gledhill, the race’s significance extended beyond the results. Norway’s Directorate of Immigration, UDI, denied his residence permit application, requiring him to leave by March 28. The rejection was based on income, as UDI requires applicants aged 18 to 67 to demonstrate earnings of at least 325,400 Norwegian kroner ($30,000) over the past year. Despite working as a waiter and modelling while training, Gledhill failed to meet this threshold. UDI also deemed his ties to Norway insufficient to warrant an exception.
Gledhill moved to Norway five years ago to pursue cross-country skiing seriously. He attended the NTG Lillehammer cross-country skiing program, learned Norwegian, and built a network in the country’s elite endurance community while competing for the British national team.
He believes leaving Norway would end his career. The country’s training environment and coaching infrastructure are crucial to his development. Before the race on Saturday, he planned to compete in the Holmenkollen 50K and then travel to the US the following week.
Clown. I regret donating money to the UK team when they were out of funds a couple years ago.
This is not the role model anyone is looking for.
Save us the pearl clutching Ben. He’s a young adult and he made his choice. Now he lives with the consequences as he should. Life goes on. He certainly doesn’t have to meet your role model standards, and he’s probably still a better a skier than you when he’s drunk.