Halvor Kongsjorden

Halvor Kongsjorden was a Norwegian sport shooter, World Champion from 1939 and 1947, Olympic competitor from 1948, and a resistance member during the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany in World War II.

Sports career

Kongsjorden was born in Veggli in Buskerud, and was affiliated with the club Oslo Østre Skytterlag. He achieved a bronze medal in the 1935 World Championships, and became individual World Champion in free rifle in 1939, winning the ISSF World Shooting Championships in Luzern. He was team World Champion from 1947 and 1949. He competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, placing fourth in the 50 metre rifle prone, and 7th in the 300 metre rifle three positions. In 1949 he also won a World Championships bronze medal. He was five times individual Norwegian Champion between 1937 and 1951.

Towards the end of World War II he was one of the local Milorg leaders in Buskerud. Living in the village Veggli in Rollag, his home district became part of the anti-demolition operation Sunshine from 1944 to 1945. His Veggli/Rollag group consisted of around 100 troops, and was, along with other groups, prepared to prevent attempts of demolition by Germans of the Nore1 Power Station. The Nore1 Power Station was then the largest power station in Norway.
He died in Veggli in 1990.