Gerard van Velde
Encyclopedia
Gerard Pieter Hendrik van Velde (born 30 November 1971 in Wapenveld
, Gelderland
) is a retired Dutch speedskater
, and was specialised in sprinting.
He was considered the best Dutch sprinter during the early 1990s, but did not manage to win a medal in either the 1992
or 1994 Winter Olympics
. The 1992 Games were particularly frustrating, as he missed a bronze medal by only one-hundredth of a second.
During the late 1990s, clap skates became standard in Olympic competition. Van Velde had such difficulty adjusting to the techniques required with these new skates that he retired from skating and became a car salesman. However, he was not finished with the skating world.
Rintje Ritsma
, another Dutch
skater invited Van Velde to be his training partner, and, during training, he mastered the clap skate techniques. He decided to try out for the 2002 Winter Olympics
, in spite of the arrival of a new generation of Dutch sprinters such as Jan Bos
, Erben Wennemars
, and Jakko Jan Leeuwangh
. Van Velde became the fourth sprinter to qualify for the games.
In Salt Lake City, he started before all the other favorites and raced to a world-record finish with a time of 1:07.18. This time shaved more than half a second from the previous best world time, and more than a second from his personal best. The skaters who followed were unable to best him, and he won the gold medal.
In December 2005, at the Dutch Olympic Trials in Heerenveen
, Van Velde failed to qualify for the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin
.
Wapenveld
Wapenveld is a town in Gelderland, The Netherlands, part of the Heerde municipality. It is situated about 10 km from Zwolle.The Apeldoornse kanaal, which once was used by ships to shortcut the IJssel, runs right through it....
, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
) is a retired Dutch speedskater
Long track speed skating
Speed skating is an Olympic sport where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as short track speedskating, inline speedskating, and quad speed skating are also called speed skating...
, and was specialised in sprinting.
He was considered the best Dutch sprinter during the early 1990s, but did not manage to win a medal in either the 1992
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...
or 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...
. The 1992 Games were particularly frustrating, as he missed a bronze medal by only one-hundredth of a second.
During the late 1990s, clap skates became standard in Olympic competition. Van Velde had such difficulty adjusting to the techniques required with these new skates that he retired from skating and became a car salesman. However, he was not finished with the skating world.
Rintje Ritsma
Rintje Ritsma
Robert 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...
, another Dutch
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...
skater invited Van Velde to be his training partner, and, during training, he mastered the clap skate techniques. He decided to try out for the 2002 Winter Olympics
2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...
, in spite of the arrival of a new generation of Dutch sprinters such as Jan Bos
Jan Bos
Jan Bos is a Dutch speedskater and sprint cyclist.In 1998 he became world champion sprint and he won the silver medal that year on the 1000 meter sprint during the Winter Olympics in Nagano....
, Erben Wennemars
Erben Wennemars
Egbert Rolf Wennemars is a Dutch former speed skater. He specialized in the sprint and middle distances of 500, 1000 and 1500 meters.-Speed skating career:...
, and Jakko Jan Leeuwangh
Jakko Jan Leeuwangh
Jakko Jan Leeuwangh is a former speed skater from the Netherlands. He finished fourth in the 1998 Olympic 1,000 m event. In January 2000 he broke the 1,500m world record in Calgary, Canada, holding the record until it was broken by Lee Kyu-Hyeok in March 2001.-References:...
. Van Velde became the fourth sprinter to qualify for the games.
In Salt Lake City, he started before all the other favorites and raced to a world-record finish with a time of 1:07.18. This time shaved more than half a second from the previous best world time, and more than a second from his personal best. The skaters who followed were unable to best him, and he won the gold medal.
In December 2005, at the Dutch Olympic Trials in Heerenveen
Heerenveen
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...
, Van Velde failed to qualify for the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.