Sven Kramer biography
Sven Kramer, (born April 23, 1986, Heerenveen, Friesland, Netherlands), Dutch pace skater who excelled in long-distance occasions, most notably the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, and who gained 4 speed-skating Olympic gold medals.
Sven, the son of former Olympic pace skater Yep Kramer, was raised within the Dutch speed-skating city of Heerenveen; his youthful sister, Brecht Kramer, additionally competed within the sport. He acquired his first skilled recognition in 2004, when he gained the Dutch all-around title. In 2005 he positioned third on the world all-around speed-skating championships. That 12 months he additionally was named the world all-around champion within the junior division. Kramer acquired a second bronze on this planet all-around competitors in 2006, the identical 12 months that marked his Olympic debut. At the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, he competed in 4 occasions and gained a silver medal within the 5,000 metres and a bronze within the staff pursuit.
Following the Turin Games, Kramer established himself as one of many premier long-distance pace skaters. In 2007 he gained the primary of 4 consecutive total titles at each the world and European all-around championships, and later that 12 months he was named Dutch Sportsman of the Year. In addition, he set a number of world information within the 10,000 metres, together with a time of 12 min 41.69 sec on the 2007 world single-distance championships in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. He additionally set a world report of 6 min 3.32 sec within the 5,000 metres on the 2007 World Cup in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Those report instances nonetheless stood firstly of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, making Kramer a favorite to win each occasions. Although he gained a gold medal within the 5,000 metres in addition to a bronze within the staff pursuit, it was his botched victory within the 10,000 metres that made probably the most headlines. Despite a profitable time of 12 min 54.50 sec, a lane-change error led to Kramer’s disqualification.
Kramer rapidly rebounded from that efficiency and gained world all-around championships in 2010, 2012, and 2013. At the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, he gained gold medals within the 5,000 metres and the staff pursuit—setting Olympic information in each occasions—in addition to a silver medal within the 10,000 metres. Kramer continued his world all-around dominance following the 2014 Games, profitable three consecutive championships from 2015 to 2017. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in P’yŏngch’ang, South Korea, he gained a gold medal within the 5,000 metres and a bronze within the staff pursuit.