Ivar Ballangrud

Ivar Ballangrud ( born March 7, 1904 in Lunner, † June 1, 1969 in Trondheim ) was a Norwegian speed skater. With four Olympic victories and four titles in the all-around world championships, he is one of the most successful skaters in history.

Career

Ivar Ballangrud was born in the small village Lunner in Hadeland. He belonged to the so-called " Hadeland Trio ", which was next to him from the skaters Michael and Hans Staksrud Engnestangen and speed skating domninierte in the 1930s. In the period 1924-1939 Ballangrud belonged to the world's best speed skating. When he 19 -year-old made ​​his debut in 1924 on the international stage, he suggested once the newly minted Olympic champion over 10,000 meters, Julius Skutnabb, on its home track.

1926 Ballangrud was first all-around world champion in Trondheim. More titles followed in 1932 in Lake Placid as well as 1936 and 1938 in Davos. Only Oscar Mathisen, Clas Thunberg and Sven Kramer won more titles. In addition Ballangrud was in the years 1929, 1930, 1933 and 1936 all-around European Champion.

At the 1928 Olympics in St. Moritz Ballangrud won bronze over 1500 m and 5000 m gold its first Olympic medals. In the next 1932 Olympic Games in Lake Placid Ballangrud would have been favorite when the competitions had been carried out in the usual European duel mode. Was in unfamiliar ground start mode, against whose protest Clas Thunberg not even arrived, it was enough for Ballangrud anyway to bronze over 1500 m and silver over 10,000 m. His Olympics should, however, yet to come. 1936 became in Garmisch -Partenkirchen Ballangrud the most successful athletes of the Olympic Games. He surprisingly won over 500m, then 5000m and 10,000 m. The total triumph Ballangruds at all distances prevented his compatriot Charles Mathiesen, who could refer him about 1500 m on the second place.

1930 sparked Ballangrud Oscar Mathisen from a leader in the Peerage. He brought it to 188.806 points and held the lead for seven years.

In addition to its five world records Ballangrud ran the 10,000 m in a preparation race for the 1932 Olympic Games in the mass start mode in 16:46.4 minutes. This time was 31 seconds under the former world record and was only 20 years later surpassed by Hjalmar Andersen.

Personal Best

¹ = world record at the time of the run