Laila Friis-Salling
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Laila Friis-Salling |
| Born | 11 April 1985 |
| Height | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Freestyle Skiing |
| Partner | Mads Madsen |
Laila Friis-Salling (born 11 April 1985) is a Greenlandic and Danish freestyle skier. Born to a politician and a businessman, she started snowboarding and later switched to skiing, taking up freestyle skiing due to a bet. Friis-Salling made her international debut in 2014 and competed in the World Cup series the following year.
She would eventually compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics with the support of the Danish Ski Federation and Greenland Ski Federation. Before the Games, she would suffer from multiple injuries. She would compete in the women's halfpipe and did not advance to the finals of her event. After her retirement, she would compete at the dancing competition Vild med dans and was the sixth contestant to be eliminated. There, she would meet her eventual husband, actor Mads Madsen. Together, they had two children.
Early life and education
Laila Friis-Salling was born on 11 April 1985 in Qeqertarsuaq, Greenland.[1] Her mother Augusta Salling is a politician while her father Jens Kristian Friis-Salling is a business owner in Greenland and was ranked Denmark's 80th richest man according to Berlingske. She has a brother named Bent who also serves as her coach.[2] Friis-Salling started sport at the age of twelve when she started snowboarding and later switched to skiing. She then took up freestyle skiing due to a bet.[3] For her education, Laila studied psychology and later lived in Aalborg.[4][3]
Career
Friis-Salling made her international debut for Denmark in December 2014 in a competition in Copper Mountain, United States; she would place 17th in the competition. A few weeks after the competition, she would get enough qualifying points to qualify for the Nor-Am Cup held in Mammoth Mountain; there, she would place 15th.[5] She then made her World Cup debut during the 2014–15 FIS Freestyle Skiing World Cup, placing as high as tenth during the racing circuit.[3][5]
Friis-Salling's first World Championships appearance would be at the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships 2017 held in Sierra Nevada, Spain, though she would not medal and placed 20th. A year later, she would compete at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, representing Denmark.[5] In the lead-up to the Winter Games, she would suffer multiple injuries including broken ribs, a concussion, and a dislocated elbow. She would be supported by both the Danish Ski Federation and Greenland Ski Federation.[2] She would train in Mammoth Lakes for her preparations for the Winter Games.[3] At the Winter Games, she would compete in the women's halfpipe and would place 23rd in the qualifying stage, not advancing to the finals.[5]
Post-retirement
After her retirement, she would compete in the fifteenth season of Vild med dans, the Danish version of the Dancing with the Stars franchise. There, she would be the sixth person eliminated from the competition.[6] While at the competition, she would meet actor Mads Madsen and would begin dating in December 2018.[7] They later had two children and got married in 2022.[8]
References
- ^ "Laila Friis-Salling Biographical Information". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ a b Idskov, Thomas (5 February 2018). "Fire dage til vinter-OL: Grønlandsk millardærarving stiller op for Danmark" [Four days until the Winter Olympics: Greenlandic billionaire heir runs for Denmark]. B.T. (in Danish). Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Freestyle Skiing | Athlete Profile: Laila Friis-Salling - Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "'Vild med dans'-Laila nyforelsket" ['Dancing Wild' - Laila newly in love]. B.T. (in Danish). 13 February 2019. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Laila Friis-Salling". International Ski and Snowboard Federation. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ Lagerstorf, Nicklas Erik (20 October 2018). "Farvel og tak! Laila Friis-Salling er ude af "Vild med dans"" [Goodbye and thank you! Laila Friis-Salling is out of "Dancing With the Stars"]. Se og Hør (in Danish). Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ Johansen, Camilla Maria (2 August 2020). "Laila og Mads glæder sig: Bryllup på slottet" [Laila and Mads are happy: Wedding at the castle]. Se og Hør (in Danish). Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "Nu er de blevet gift" [Now, they are married]. TV 2 News (in Danish). 12 August 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.