Falko Zandstra
Encyclopedia
Falko Zandstra is a former Dutch
speed skater
. Because of his thin legs he was also called de Gespierde Spijker which translates to the Muscular Nail.
, Friesland
. He is a natural talent who had his career peak at a very young age. In 1990 and 1991 he became junior world champion. In 1991 he won with a world record
in the small combination
. In his international debut year 1992 he became European Champion Allround
and finished second in the World Allround Championships
, after Roberto Sighel
. In that season he also won the World Cup
at the 1500 meters and a silver medal at the Winter Olympics
in the 5000 meters. A year later, in 1993 he became World champion and European champion again.
From 1994 on, it went downwards with his career. At the 1994 Winter Olympics
in Lillehammer
he won the bronze medal in the 1500 meters and finished fourth in the 5000 and 10000 meters. He also won the 1500 meters World Cup again. In 1995 he finished second in the European championships. At the World championships that year, he fell during the 1500 meters when he threw his arm band (which is used to indicate in which lane a skater has started) over his own skate. Because of this he didn't qualify for the 10000 meters.
For 49 days, from January 23 till March 13, 1993, Falko Zandstra was the leader in the Adelskalender.
After his career as speed skater, Zandstra switched to marathon skating but he had little success in this and in 1999 he quit skating at all. Nowadays he runs his own company in roof and wall plating called Falko Dak & Wand in Heerenveen. He is married to former Dutch speed skater Ellen Linnenbank.
s, of which six were junior world records:
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
speed skater
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
. Because of his thin legs he was also called de Gespierde Spijker which translates to the Muscular Nail.
Biography
Zandstra was born in HeerenveenHeerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
, Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. He is a natural talent who had his career peak at a very young age. In 1990 and 1991 he became junior world champion. In 1991 he won with a world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
in the small combination
Samalog
Samalog is a scoring system in speed skating. It is used in allround tournaments to convert results at various distances into points in order to determine an overall champion...
. In his international debut year 1992 he became European Champion Allround
European Speed Skating Championships
The European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The...
and finished second in the World Allround Championships
World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world...
, after Roberto Sighel
Roberto Sighel
Roberto Sighel is a former Italian speedskater, with particularly strong achievements in the allround samalogue competitions.His skating career was unusually long, competing at top international level from 1988 to 2002...
. In that season he also won the World Cup
Speed Skating World Cup
The Speed Skating World Cup is a series of international speed skating competitions, organised yearly by the International Skating Union since the winter of 1985–86. Every year during the winter, a number of competitions on a number of different distances are held...
at the 1500 meters and a silver medal at the Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
in the 5000 meters. A year later, in 1993 he became World champion and European champion again.
From 1994 on, it went downwards with his career. At the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
in Lillehammer
Lillehammer
is a town and municipality in Oppland county, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics. It is part of the traditional region of Gudbrandsdal. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Lillehammer. As of May 2011, the population of the town of Lillehammer was...
he won the bronze medal in the 1500 meters and finished fourth in the 5000 and 10000 meters. He also won the 1500 meters World Cup again. In 1995 he finished second in the European championships. At the World championships that year, he fell during the 1500 meters when he threw his arm band (which is used to indicate in which lane a skater has started) over his own skate. Because of this he didn't qualify for the 10000 meters.
For 49 days, from January 23 till March 13, 1993, Falko Zandstra was the leader in the Adelskalender.
After his career as speed skater, Zandstra switched to marathon skating but he had little success in this and in 1999 he quit skating at all. Nowadays he runs his own company in roof and wall plating called Falko Dak & Wand in Heerenveen. He is married to former Dutch speed skater Ellen Linnenbank.
World records
In the course of his career, Zandstra skated nine world recordWorld record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s, of which six were junior world records:
- 3000-m Junior: 4.02,10 (Heerenveen, 13 March 1990; beaten by Zandstra)
- Allround Junior: 159.753 (Heerenveen, 17 February 1991; beaten by Zandstra)
- Small Allround: 159.753 (Heerenveen, 17 February 1991; beaten by Zandstra)
- 3000-m Junior: 3.57,64 (Calgary, 1 March 1991; beaten by Bob de JongBob de JongBob Johannes Carolus de Jong is a Dutch speed skater who specializes in long distances: five and ten kilometers.-Speed skating career:...
, 8 March 1996) - 1500-m Junior: 1.53,26 (Calgary, 2 March 1991; beaten by Yusuke Imai, 2 March 1996)
- 5000-m Junior: 6.47,10 (Calgary, 3 March 1991; beaten by Bob de JongBob de JongBob Johannes Carolus de Jong is a Dutch speed skater who specializes in long distances: five and ten kilometers.-Speed skating career:...
, 10 March 1996) - Allround Junior: 156.059 (Calgary, 3 March 1991; beaten by Choi Jae-BongChoi Jae-BongChoi Jae-bong is a South Korean speed skater. He represented his country at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. At that time he was the holder of the junior World record at 1500m, set in early December 1997 in Thialf, Heerenveen where he clocked 1:52.25 to break the record...
, 29 November 1998) - Small Allround: 156.059 (Calgary, 3 March 1991; beaten by KC BoutietteKC BoutietteKC Boutiette is an American speed skater from Tacoma, Washington and four-time Olympian.He was first of the wave of inline speed skaters who made the transition from inline to ice in order to have a shot at going to the Olympics.Among American speed skaters, Boutiette's story is half legendary...
, 15 March 1997) - Allround: 156.882 (Heerenveen, 24 January 1993; beaten by Rintje RitsmaRintje RitsmaRobert Rintje Ritsma is a former Dutch long track speed skater. His nickname is the Beer van Lemmer, which translates to the Bear from Lemmer.-Speed skating career:He has won the World Allround Championships 4 times...
, 9 January 1994)