- Hans Engnestangen
Hans Engnestangen (
March 28 ,1908 –May 9 2003 ) was a Norwegian speed skater and world champion. He held the world records on both the 500 and 1500 meter distance for more than ten years.He hailed from
Brandbu , but represented the speed skating clubHamar IL .International championships
At the
1932 Winter Olympics he participated in the 10000 metres event but was eliminated in the heats.Four years later he finished eights in the 1500 metres competition. He also participated in the 500 metres event but did not finish.
Engnestangen won a gold medal at the 1933
World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men , and a bronze medal in 1935. [http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-171961-189179-100271-0-file,00.pdf Medal Winners in World Allround Championships] – "International Skating Union" (Retrieved on April 9, 2008)] He won the 500m distance in 1933, 1938 and 1939, and the 1500m in 1937 and 1938.He received a silver medal at the 1937 European Allround Championships, where he also won the 500m distance.
World records
In January 1933 Engnestangen improved
Clas Thunberg 's previous world record on 500m speedskating, with 42.5, a record which lasted until 1936. Engnestangen improved the time in January 1937 (42.3), and again in February 1938 (41.8). The last record was unbeaten for 14 years, until 1952. [http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/fileurl/0,11040,4844-181536-198754-94643-0-file,00.pdf Historical World Records] – "International Skating Union" (Retrieved on April 9, 2008)]In January 1939 Engnestangen improved the 1500m time with the new world record 2:13.8. The record was unbeaten for 13 years, until 1952.
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
