Ard Schenk

Adrianus ("Ard") Schenk (born 16 September 1944 in Anna Paulowna, Noord-Holland) is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history.

hort Biography

In the early 1970s Schenk dominated international speed skating. His career peaked in 1972, when in addition to winning three gold medals during the Olympic Games in Sapporo (a fall on the 500 m caused him to miss the opportunity to win gold in all 4 distances), he also won the European Allround and the World Allround Championships. He became World Allround Champion by winning all 4 distances, a feat that nobody had performed since Ivar Ballangrud 40 years earlier. In addition, he won bronze that year at the World Sprint Championships. By the end of the season, he held "all" world records except for the 500 m. The next season (1973), he turned professional with a number of other prominent speed skaters [Koomen 1973] , thereby foregoing the opportunity of winning more championships. The professional circuit lasted two seasons and Schenk retired from speed skating at the relatively young age of 30.

Throughout his career he broke 18 world records (just like Gunda Niemann did later), a feat no skater before or after him has bettered. He was the first to skate the 10,000 meters under 15 minutes, and the first skater to finish the 1,500 meters in less than 2 minutes. He was also the first person to skate the 1000 meters below 1:19.0 and the first to skate that distance on a lowland rink below 1:20.0. Would the 1000 meters have been included during the 1972 Olympics, Schenk for sure was a candidate for the gold medal. He won the 1000 meters five times during a World Sprint Championship out of the six times he skated that distance on that tournament (the first two of which were called ISU Championship Sprint).

Merits

*1966 European Champion
*1968 Olympic silver medal, 1,500 meters
*1970 World & European Champion
*1971 World Champion
*1972 World & European Champion, 3 Olympic gold medals
*1973 World Professional Champion

Championships Results

Schenk has an Adelskalender score of 166.241 points. He was number one on the Adelskalender from 13 January 1966 until 27 February 1967 and again from 13 February 1971 until 19 March 1976 for a total of 6 years and 58 days. The Adelskalender is an all-time allround speed skating ranking. [http://web.telia.com/~u46130641/adel.htm Adelskalender pages of Evert Stenlund]

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Bal, Rien and Van Dijk, Rob. "Schaatskampioenen, alles over het seizoen 68-69 (Speedskating Champions, all about the season 68-69)" . Amsterdam, the Netherlands: N.V. Het Parool, 1969. (Dutch)
* Eng, Trond. "All Time International Championships, Complete Results: 1889 - 2002". Askim, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2002.
* Froger, Fred R. "Topsporters: Ard Schenk * Kees Verkerk (Elite Athletes: Ard Schenk * Kees Verkerk)". Bussum, the Netherlands: Van Holkema & Warendorf, 1967. (Dutch)
* ___________ "Winnaars op de schaats (Victors on Skates), Een Parool Sportpocket". Amsterdam, the Netherlands: N.V. Het Parool, 1968. (Dutch)
* Koomen, Theo. "10 Jaar Topschaatsen (10 Years Elite Speedskating)". Laren (NH), the Netherlands: Uitgeverij Luitingh, 1971. ISBN 90-245-0114-8. (Dutch)
* _________ "Topschaatsen 1972 (Elite Speedskating 1972)". Laren (NH), the Netherlands: Uitgeverij Luitingh, 1972. ISBN 90-245-0152-0. (Dutch)
* _________ "Topschaatsen 3 (Elite Speedskating 3)". Laren (NH), the Netherlands: Uitgeverij Luitingh, 1973. ISBN 90-245-0194-6. (Dutch)
* Maaskant, Piet. "Flitsende Ijzers, De geschiedenis van de schaatssport (Flashing Blades, the History of Dutch Speedskating)". Zwolle, the Netherlands: La Rivière & Voorhoeve, 1967 (Second revised and expanded edition). (Dutch)
* _________ "Heya, Heya! Het nieuwe boek van de Schaatssport (Heya, Heya! The New book of Dutch Speedskating)". Zwolle, the Netherlands: La Rivière & Voorhoeve, 1970. (Dutch)
* Peereboom, Klaas. "Van Jaap Eden tot Ard Schenk (From Jaap Eden till Ard Schenk)". Baarn, the Netherlands: De Boekerij, 1972. ISBN 90-225-0346-1. (Dutch)
* Schenk, Ard and Racké, Fred. "Ard Apart, mijn groei naar de top (Ard on his own, his growth to the Top)". Alkmaar, the Netherlands: Verenigde Noordhollandse Dagbladen, 1971. (Dutch)
* Teigen, Magne. "Komplette Resultater Internasjonale Mesterskap 1889 - 1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior, allround/sprint". Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989. (Norwegian)
* Van Eyle, Wim. "Een Eeuw Nederlandse Schaatssport (A Century of Dutch Speedskating)". Utrecht, the Netherlans: Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, 1982. ISBN 90-274-9476-2. (Dutch)
* Witkamp, Anton and Koning, Dolf (eds.). "Schaatsgoud '72 (Speedskating Gold '72)". Bussum, the Netherlands: Teleboek NV, 1972. ISBN 90-6122-204-4. (Dutch)

External links

* [http://www.skateresults.com/skater/show/934 Ard Schenk at SkateResults.com]
* [http://www.desg.de/skater.php?anzeige=skater&skater=2736 Ard Schenk at DESG.de] (German)
* [http://web.telia.com/~u46130641/schenk.htm Short biography from Evert Stenlund's Adelskalender pages]