Website www.erbenwennemars.nl Role Speed Skater Retired 2010 | Turned pro 1995 Name Erben Wennemars | |
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Spouse Renate van der Zalm (m. 2003) Children Joep Wennemars, Niels Wennemars Similar People Profiles | ||
Interview with erben wennemars
Egbert Rolf "Erben" Wennemars (born 1 November 1975) is a Dutch former speed skater. He specialized in the sprint and middle distances of 500, 1000 and 1500 meters, and set six world records during his career.
Contents
- Interview with erben wennemars
- Erben wennemars world record 1500 meter salt lake city
- Speed skating career
- Personal life
- References
Erben wennemars world record 1500 meter salt lake city
Speed skating career
Wennemars was the first skater who skated the 1500 m faster than 1:50.00. His 1:49.89 in the summer of 1997, however, was not regarded as an official world record.
During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano where Wennemars was qualified for the 500, 1000 and 1500 m, he dislocated his shoulder when Grunde Njøs from Norway fell and collided with Wennemars during the second 500 m race. Wennemars was not able to participate in the other distances after that.
Wennemars achieved his first big success in 2003 during the World Single Distance Championships in Berlin by winning the gold medal at the 1000 m and 1500 m. One year later he became world champion sprint in Nagano. In 2005 he defended his world sprint title successfully in Salt Lake City.
Wennemars qualified for the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and the team pursuit events at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. His teammates for the team pursuit were Sven Kramer, Carl Verheijen, Mark Tuitert and Rintje Ritsma.
In 2003, Wennemars was chosen as athlete of the year in the Netherlands, and in 2003, 2004 and 2005 as Dutch skater of the year. After failing to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics he announced his farewell from competitive skating. On 11 January 2010, Wennemars officially retired as a speed-skating professional.
Personal life
Wennemars is married to TV-presenter Renate van der Zalm, with whom he has two sons: Joep and Niels.