Helge Andreas Løvland (11 May 1890 – 26 April 1984) was a Norwegian military officer, track and field athlete, sports official and writer. He won the gold medal in the decathlon at the 1920 Olympics. Løvland was awarded the Egebergs Ærespris in 1919.
Early life and education
He was born in Froland as a son of forest owner Anders Løvland (1852–1928) and Helga née Lyngrot. He was a nephew of Norway's Prime Minister from 1907 to 1908, Jørgen Løvland. Helge Løvland attended Arendal Upper Secondary School, but completed the examen artium at Aars og Voss School in 1911. He resided in Kristiania until he graduated from the Norwegian Military Academy in 1914. He then resided in Harstad for two years as a Premier Lieutenant, also taking the State School of Gymnastics in 1917. He returned to Kristiania, and was in 1919 promoted to Captain in the infantry.
National-level career
In Kristiania, he joined the sports club IF Ørnulf and made a local breakthrough in an athletics meet in 1913. Løvland then entered the 1914 Norwegian Championships, and won the 110 metres hurdles. He also managed a bronze medal in the long jump and silver in the javelin throw. He did not enter the 1915 or 1916 championships.
Løvland returned to win four more national titles in the high hurdles, in 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920. He set Norway's first official pentathlon record in 1918, and improved it three times in 1918 and 1919. His last record stood until 1933.
Løvland's only decathlon record was set in July 1919 at Frogner Stadium. The points score was 7786.920 following the scoring system at the time; the modern scoring system (from 1985) sets it to 6033 points. As a Norwegian record, it stood until 1931, although that score was lower according to the modern system. His 7786.920 score was also an unofficial world record;
Løvland was also a gymnast, with his exploits in both sports awarding him the Egebergs Honorary Prize in 1919. The King's Cup, awarded to the best overall athlete at the Norwegian Championships, was given to Løvland in 1919 and 1920. The pentathlon did not include his favourite event, the 110 metres hurdles.
Having tied with Brutus Hamilton in the pentathlon, the American became Løvland's main rival in the decathlon. Hamilton took the lead after the first event, the 100 metres, which was exacerbated by the long jump and shot put. Løvland performed below par in the long jump, but beat Hamilton in the 400 metres and high hurdles, and became the overall winner of the discus throw. Løvland also set a personal best in the pole vault, and according to the scorekeepers, he had the chance of winning the decathlon if he finished the 1500 metres 9 seconds faster than Hamilton. As Løvland finished 9.4 seconds ahead of Hamilton (4:48.4 versus 4:57.8 minutes), the Norwegian camp celebrated victory. Some declared Hamilton the winner, and following numerous messages back and forth, the 1500 metres score as well as Løvland's points score in the discus was also corrected, and he was finally pronounced winner. Løvland retired after the Olympics.
Løvland's Olympic victory score was 6803.355 points; 5803 according to the 1985 scoring system. Løvland is the oldest decathlon winner at the Olympics. In between, Norway also had the 1946 European champion in the decathlon, Godtfred Holmvang, who spoke on being directly inspired by Løvland growing up, as they resided in the same district, and Holmvang was impressed by Løvland's physical stature.
Post-active career
From 1921, Løvland served in the Norwegian Armed Forces as Sports Inspector until 1930. He was then secretary-general of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports and the Norwegian Olympic Committee until 1940.
After the war, he returned to the Armed Forces as a sports consultant, also chairing its Sports Council () from 1948 to his retirement in 1955. He reached the rank of Major in 1950 and Lieutenant Colonel in 1953. and was also a hobby chess player.