Stefan Groothuis
Encyclopedia
Stefan Groothuis is a Dutch
speed skater
who is currently part of Team Telfort.
Groothuis is a specialist in the middle distances, 1000 and 1500 metres and had his international breakthrough in 2005. In that year he reached a second spot during the Speed Skating World Cup
meeting in Salt Lake City over 1000 metres. This earned him a nomination for the 2006 Winter Olympics
in Turin. During the Dutch Single Distance Championships in December 2005 he switched this nomination into a qualification by becoming fourth behind Jan Bos
, Erben Wennemars
and Beorn Nijenhuis
who all qualified as well.
In January 2006 Groothuis surprised by becoming the Dutch national sprint champion finishing in first position after two races over 500 metres as well as two over 1000 metres, outsprinting common names like Gerard van Velde
, Nijenhuis and Wennemars. A month later at the 2006 Winter Olympics Groothuis would finish in 8th position over 1000 metres. His time of 1:09.57 was 0.68 behind on winner Shani Davis
.
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...
who is currently part of Team Telfort.
Groothuis is a specialist in the middle distances, 1000 and 1500 metres and had his international breakthrough in 2005. In that year he reached a second spot during the Speed Skating 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...
meeting in Salt Lake City over 1000 metres. This earned him a nomination 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. During the Dutch Single Distance Championships in December 2005 he switched this nomination into a qualification by becoming fourth behind 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 Beorn Nijenhuis
Beorn Nijenhuis
Beorn Enriqué Nijenhuis is a Dutch speed skater, who represented the Netherlands at the 2006 Winter Olympics....
who all qualified as well.
In January 2006 Groothuis surprised by becoming the Dutch national sprint champion finishing in first position after two races over 500 metres as well as two over 1000 metres, outsprinting common names like Gerard van Velde
Gerard van Velde
Gerard Pieter Hendrik van Velde is a retired Dutch speedskater, and was specialised in sprinting....
, Nijenhuis and Wennemars. A month later at the 2006 Winter Olympics Groothuis would finish in 8th position over 1000 metres. His time of 1:09.57 was 0.68 behind on winner Shani Davis
Shani Davis
Shani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...
.
Personal records
Career highlights
- 2001, 6th at the Junior World Championships
- 2002, 6th over 1000 metres at the Dutch National Single Distance Championships
- 2002, 7th at the Dutch National Sprint Championships
- 2003, 4th over 1000 metres and 8th over 500 metres at the Dutch National Single Distance Championships
- 2003, 6th at the Dutch National Sprint Championships
- 2004, 6th over 500 metres and 9th over 1000 metres at the Dutch National Single Distance Championships
- 2004, 8th at the Dutch National Sprint Championships
- 2005, 5th over 1500 metres, 6th over 500 metres and 7th over 1000 metres at the Dutch National Single Distance Championships
- 2005, 4th at the Dutch National Sprint Championships
- 2006, 4th over 1000 metres and 8th over 1500 metres at the Dutch National Single Distance Championships
- 2006, 1st at the Dutch National Sprint Championships
- 2006, 8th over 1000 metres at the 2006 Winter Olympics2006 Winter OlympicsThe 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...
- 2006, 9th overall at the 1000 metres World Cup
- 2007, 2nd over 1000 metres, 6th over 500 metres and 8th over 1500 metres at the Dutch National Single Distance Championships