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Erben Wennemars

The Olympic Games or Olympics is an international multi-sport event taking place every four years which comprises of summer and winter games. Though the first ancient games were held in 776 B.C, the modern games started from 1896. The unity of the 5 continents is shown on the Olympic flag by five colorful intertwined rings of red, blue, green, yellow, and black, created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin to represent at least one color of the participating country’s national flag.

Erben Wennemars was born on November 1, 1975 in Dalfsen and is a Dutch speed skater. His height is 6 foot 10 inches. He specializes in the sprint and middle distances of 500, 1000 and 1500 meter. Erben Wennemars was the first skater who skated the 1500 meters faster than 1minute 50 seconds. His 1minute 49.89 seconds in the summer of 1997 however, was not regarded as an official world record.

During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano where Wennemars was qualified for the 500, 1000 and 1500 meter, he dislocated his shoulder when Grunde Njos from Norway fell and collided with Wennemars during the second 500 meter race. Wennemars was not able to participate in the other distances after that. Wennemars achieved his first big success in 2003 during the World Single Distance Championships in Berlin by winning the gold medal at the 1000 and 1500 meter. One year later he became world champion sprint in Nagano. In 2005, he defended his world sprint title effectively in Salt Lake City.

Wennemars qualified for the 500, 1000, 1500 meter and the team pursuit events at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. In 2003, Wennemars was selected as athlete of the year in the Netherlands and in 2003, 2004 and 2005 as Dutch skater of the year. Wennemars trained with teammate Jan Bos for the majority of his career. Bos was always faster than his compatriot until Wennemars pulled ahead in 2000-01 after former Dutch coach, Peter Mueller motivated him. His superior approach and devotion to the game which made him stand out from the other players.

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