- Jan Schmid
Jan Schmid, b. november 1983, is a Norwegian [ [http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/sport/kombinert/article1507598.ece Blir norsk - må betale 120 000 kr ] ]
nordic combined skier, of Swiss origin. He finished seventh in the 4 x 5 km team event at the2002 Winter Olympics inSalt Lake City . He has taken part in two Winter Olympic games and two World Championships for Switzerland.Background
Schmid was born in Norway, speaks Norwegian, and has lived in city of
Trondheim all of his life. Until recently he only had a Swiss passport due to the fact that both of his parents are Swiss citizens. [ [http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/sport/kombinert/article1507598.ece Blir norsk - må betale 120 000 kr ] ]Change of nationality
The circumstances of Schmid's transfer from the Swiss to the
Norwegian ski federation are unusual and was discussed at theInternational Ski Federation Council meeting in 2006. TheSwiss ski federation required that Schmid pay a transfer fee of 120.000 Norwegian Kroner [ [http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/sport/kombinert/article1507598.ece Blir norsk - må betale 120 000 kr ] ] (approx USD 23.000) as compensation. Transfer fees of this kind are unheard of in the ski sport. The consequences of not paying the fee would have left Schmid in quarantine for a year. It was also a matter of some urgency for Schmid due to the legal complications that could arise if he did not change his nationality before his 23rd birthday.Family
Schmid's mother, Ruth Schmid, is the leader of the
Nordic combined committee in the Norwegian ski federation. Jan's five years younger brother, Tommy Schmid, is currently on the Swiss national ski team.External links
* [http://torino2006.coni.it/index.php?id=a_squadre Nordic combined team Olympic results: 1988-2002] it icon
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