Rintje Ritsma
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Robert Rintje•Ritsma |
| Used name | Rintje•Ritsma |
| Nick/petnames | De Beer van Lemmer |
| Born | 13 April 1970 in Lemmer, Friesland (NED) |
| Measurements | 190 cm / 92 kg |
| Affiliations | Trainingsgroep De Preamkeskouwers |
| NOC |  Netherlands |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 0 |
| Silver | 2 |
| Bronze | 4 |
| Total | 6 |
Biography
Although an Olympic gold medal has eluded Rintje Ritsma, he is definitely one of the all time speed skating greats. In his long career, he won the World Allround Championships four times (1995, 1996, 1999, 2001) and won a record six European titles (1994-1996, 1998-2000). In addition, he has won two World distance titles (both in 1997) and six Olympic medals between 1994 and 2006. He broke the World Record in the 1500 m twice, becoming both the first man to go faster than 1:52 and 1:49. In 1996, Ritsma caused a revolution in Dutch speed skating by starting the first professional skating team. His move caused a shift in skating, with all Dutch skaters now being employed by commercial teams rather than the national federation. Ritsma’s career was often thought to have come to an end, for example when he missed qualification for the 2001 World Championships. When illness of a team mate allowed him to compete after all, he took first place - his last international title. He also surprised critics by qualifying for the 2002 and 2006 Olympics, winning a team pursuit bronze in Torino. He finally did announce his retirement in September 2008.
Personal Bests: 500 – 35.90 (1999); 1000 – 1:10.19 (1999); 1500 – 1:45.86 (2002); 5000 – 6:20.26 (2006); 10000 – 13:28.19 (1998).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Rintje Ritsma | |||
| 500 metres, Men (Olympic) | =27 | |||||
| 1,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 12 | |||||
| 1,500 metres, Men (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 1994 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Rintje Ritsma | |||
| 1,500 metres, Men (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 5,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 10,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 7 | |||||
| 1998 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Rintje Ritsma | |||
| 1,500 metres, Men (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 5,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 10,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 2002 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Rintje Ritsma | |||
| 1,500 metres, Men (Olympic) | 9 | |||||
| 2006 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Rintje Ritsma | |||
| Team Pursuit (8 laps), Men (Olympic) | Netherlands | 3 | Bronze |
Olympic Records
Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.| Games | Date | Sport | Event | Phase | Mark | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Winter Olympics | 8 February 1998 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 5,000 metres, Men | Final Standings | 6:28.24 WR | 2 |
| 2006 Winter Olympics | 15 February 2006 | Speed Skating (Skating) | Team Pursuit (8 laps), Men | Qualifying Round | 3:48.02 | 3 |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | NED |
Rintje Ritsma | |
| 2006 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | NED |
Rintje Ritsma |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Led the Adelskalender (speed skating) (Allround – 6 January 1994 - 16 February 1994 and 6 December 1997 - 26 November 2000: 156.206 (6 January 1994; Hamar, NOR), 155.803 (8 January 1994; Hamar, NOR), 154.772 (6 December 1997; Heerenveen, NED), 154.586 (18 December 1997; Heerenveen, NED), 154.353 (20 December 1997; Heerenveen, NED), 153.774 (8 February 1998; Nagano, JPN), 153.654 (12 February 1998; Nagano, JPN), 152.706 (17 February 1998; Nagano, JPN), 152.576 (13 March 1998; Heerenveen, NED), 152.307 (27 March 1998; Calgary, CAN), 151.990 (28 March 1998; Calgary, CAN), 151.560 (8 January 1999; Heerenveen, NED), 151.330 (6 February 1999; Hamar, NOR), 151.200 (13 February 1999; Calgary, CAN), 150.720 (20 February 1999; Calgary, CAN))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Speed Skating (1500 m – 8 January 1994 - 16 February 1994 and 20 December 1997 - 12 February 1998: 1:51.60 (8 January 1994; Hamar, NOR), 1:48.88 (20 December 1997; Heerenveen, NED); Big Combination – 9 January 1994 - 4 January 1998 and 7 February 1999 - 17 March 2002: 156.201 (7/9 January 1994; Hamar, NOR), 152.651 (6/7 February 1999; Hamar, NOR))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Speed Skating Championships (6–2–2 1992 Heerenveen bronze: Allround; 1993 Heerenveen bronze: Allround; 1994 Hamar gold: Allround; 1995 Heerenveen gold: Allround; 1996 Heerenveen gold: Allround; 1997 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 1998 Helsinki gold: Allround; 1999 Heerenveen gold: Allround; 2000 Hamar gold: Allround; 2003 Heerenveen silver: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships (4–2–3 1993 Hamar bronze: Allround; 1994 Göteborg bronze: Allround; 1995 Baselga di Pinè gold: Allround; 1996 Inzell gold: Allround; 1998 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 1999 Hamar gold: Allround; 2000 Milwaukee bronze: Allround; 2001 Budapest gold: Allround; 2003 Göteborg silver: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships (2–2–1 1997 Warszawa gold: 1500 m and 5000 m, silver: 10000 m; 1998 Calgary silver: 5000 m; 1999 Heerenveen bronze: 1500 m)
- Listed in Olympians Who Were Awarded the Oscarstatuetten (Oscar Mathisen Award) (1999)