Aad de Koning

Aad de Koning is member of well-known Dutch skating family. His father, Jacques, became Dutch champion in 1914, while his uncle Coen was World Champion in 1905. Aad himself is best known for his performances in the Elfstedentocht, an irregularly held 200 km skating race in the Netherlands. In a chaotic sprint, De Koning placed second in the 1954 edition. Two years later, he was again one of the five leaders. After a tough race, they decided not to sprint for victory and cross the line hand in hand. This had happened before in 1940, and had since been forbidden, and De Koning and the others were disqualified, leaving the race without an official winner. In long track skating, Aad de Koning made international appearances at the 1948 Olympics and 1951 European Championships. His most notable result was a 6th place in the 500 m at the latter event.

Personal Bests: 500 – 45.5 (1951); 1500 – 2:25.3 (1948); 5000 – 8:57.6 (1948); 10000 – 18:36.8 (1951).