Background
She was born in Fiskum, Øvre Eiker, and represented the club IF Liv, Hønefoss.
She was born in Fiskum, Øvre Eiker, and represented the club IF Liv, Hønefoss.
She was the dominating female speedskater in Norway from the end of the Second World War to 1954. She set ten national records during her career. Her national record on 5,000 m from 1953, 9:35.6, was unbeaten for 29 years, until 1982.
Thorvaldsen participated in eight World Championships.
She placed fourth in 1948, and again fourth in 1949, and ninth in 1950. At the 1953 World Championships she finished sixth, and again sixth in 1954.
Thorvaldsen set a world record in women"s 1500 m in Gjøvik in 1950, when she improved Laila Schou Nilsen"s previous record from 1937. Her new record, 2:37.5, lasted less than one month, when it was beaten by Rimma Zhukova.
Thorvaldsen won the first national all-round speed skating championship held in Norway after World World War II, in 1946. She became Norwegian all-round champion nine years in a row, every year from 1946 to 1954. In these championships she won 34 distances, out of 36 possible. She won a silver medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women in 1951 in Eskilstuna, behind Eevi Huttunen. At the 1951 championship she won the 500 m distance with the time 49.4, placed second at 1,000 m (1:426), second on 3,000 m (5:560) and second on 5,000 m (9:548), resulting in the samalog (total score) 219.513. At the World Championships in 1952 in Kokkola she won the bronze medal, after placing second on 500 m and 1,500 m, fifth on 3,000 m and sixth on 5,000 m.
