Erben Wennemars

Egbert Rolf " Erben" Wennemars ( born 1 November 1975 in Dalfsen ) is a Dutch speed skater. He specializes in the sprint and middle-distance (500 m, 1000 m and 1500 m).

He is the first skater, who covered the 1500 - meter course in less than 1 minute and 50 seconds. His time of 1:49,89 min in 1997, though not recognized as an official world record. During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano to Wennemars dislocated his shoulder as the Norwegians basically Njøs clashed in the 500 - meter race with him. Wennemars could not play over 1000 and 1500 meters therefore.

He scored his first major success at the World Championships in Berlin in 2003, when he won the gold medal in the 1000 and 1500 meters. A year later he became Sprint World Champion in Nagano; this title he defended in 2005 in Salt Lake City successfully. At the Olympic Winter Games 2006 in Turin Wennemars won two bronze medals over 1000 meters and the team pursuit (together with Sven Kramer, Carl Verheijen, Mark Tuitert and Rintje Ritsma ).

Wennemars is a Dutch Sportsman of the Year in 2003 and in 2003, 2004 and elected in 2005 to the Dutch speed skater of the year. In public, he is known to respond extremely quickly, and as a shot to answer.

Personal best

World Cup rankings

(Updated: November 21, 2009)

311141
de