Geir Karlstad
Encyclopedia
Geir Karlstad is a former speed skater
.
and European Allround Championships
in 1989. Among the dominating speed skaters in the 1980s, Karlstad failed at the 1984
and 1988 Winter Olympics
. However, he got his "revenge" at the 1992 Winter Olympics
in Albertville
, winning the gold medal on the 5,000 m and the bronze on the 10,000 m, while skating for Lillestrøm SK.
A severe back injury forced him to end his career before the 1994 Winter Olympics
of Lillehammer
held in his homeland. He had originally intended to end his career at those Winter Olympics. From 1998 to 2002, he was the national team coach of the Norwegian speed skating team. Karlstad received the Oscar Mathisen Award
in 1986.
Note that Karlstad's personal record on the 3,000 m was not a world record because Leo Visser
skated 3:59.27 at the same tournament.
Karlstad has an Adelskalender score of 159.596 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was a seventh place.
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...
.
Short biography
Although best at the longest distances (the 5,000 m and the 10,000 m), Geir Karlstad became Junior World Allround Champion in 1982 and, as a senior, won bronze in both the WorldWorld 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...
and European Allround Championships
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...
in 1989. Among the dominating speed skaters in the 1980s, Karlstad failed at the 1984
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
and 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. However, he got his "revenge" at the 1992 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 Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
, winning the gold medal on the 5,000 m and the bronze on the 10,000 m, while skating for Lillestrøm SK.
A severe back injury forced him to end his career before 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...
of 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...
held in his homeland. He had originally intended to end his career at those Winter Olympics. From 1998 to 2002, he was the national team coach of the Norwegian speed skating team. Karlstad received the Oscar Mathisen Award
Oscar Mathisen Award
Since 1959, the Oscar Mathisen Award is awarded annually for outstanding speed skating performance of the season...
in 1986.
Medals
An overview of medals won by Karlstad at important championships he participated in, listing the years in which he won each:| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Speed skating at the Winter Olympics Speed skating has been featured as a sport in the Winter Olympics since the first winter games in 1924. Women's events were added to the Olympic program for the first time in 1960.-History:... |
1992 (5,000 m) | – | 1992 (10,000 m) |
| World Allround 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... |
– | – | 1989 |
| European 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... |
– | – | 1989 |
| Norwegian Allround | 1989 1990 |
1985 1986 1988 1991 1992 |
– |
| Norwegian Single Distance | 1987 (5,000 m) 1987 (10,000 m) 1988 (5,000 m) 1992 (5,000 m) |
1990 (1,500 m) 1990 (5,000 m) |
– |
World records
Over the course of his career, Karlstad skated five world records:| Event | Result | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 m | 14:12.14 | 16 February 1986 | Inzell Eisstadion Inzell Eisstadion Inzell is a stadium located in Inzell, Germany, best known as a speed skating venue. It is an outdoor, artificial ice, rink, located 690 metres above sea level and has a capacity of 20,000 people... |
| 10,000 m | 14:03.92 | 15 February 1987 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
| 5,000 m | 6:45.44 | 22 November 1987 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
| 5,000 m | 6:43.59 | 4 December 1987 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
| 10,000 m | 13:48.51 | 6 December 1987 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Karlstad skated his personal records.| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 39.41 | 17 January 1992 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
36.45 |
| 1,000 m | 1:22.5 | 25 January 1981 | Notodden Notodden is a town and municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Øst-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Notodden.... |
1:13.60 |
| 1,500 m | 1:55.24 | 22 March 1992 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
1:52.06 |
| 3,000 m | 3:59.78 | 19 March 1987 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
4:03.22 |
| 5,000 m | 6:43.59 | 4 December 1987 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
6:45.44 |
| 10,000 m | 13:48.29 | 19 January 1992 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
13:43.54 |
| Big 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... |
160.189 | 19 January 1992 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
157.396 |
Note that Karlstad's personal record on the 3,000 m was not a world record because Leo Visser
Leo Visser
Leendert Visser is s a former Dutch Speed skater, who in 1989 won the World Allround championship, the same year in which Visser also became European champion....
skated 3:59.27 at the same tournament.
Karlstad has an Adelskalender score of 159.596 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was a seventh place.