[1] He failed to qualify for the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, after which he considered taking up Nordic combined skiing.

[2] Whilst completing military service, he met Nordic combined skiers Gunder Gundersen and Sverre Stenersen, who encouraged him to take up the event.

[1] He was selected for the 1956 Winter Olympics as a substitute, and was included to the main team two days before the event due to an injury of Gunder Gundersen; Knutsen placed sixth.

[1] Knutsen won a gold medal in the Nordic combined event at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.

[7] Knutsen received the Holmenkollen Medal in 1960, shared with Helmut Recknagel, Sixten Jernberg and Sverre Stensheim.