Ard Schenk
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Adrianus "Ard"•Schenk |
| Used name | Ard•Schenk |
| Born | 16 September 1944 in Anna Paulowna, Noord-Holland (NED) |
| Measurements | 190 cm / 90 kg |
| Affiliations | Amstelveen |
| NOC |  Netherlands |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 3 |
| Silver | 1 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 4 |
Biography
The son of speed skating coach Klaas Schenk, Ard Schenk became one of the all-time speed skating greats. Together with compatriot Kees Verkerk, Schenk dominated the sport in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He won the World Championships from 1970-1972, and the European Championships in 1966, 1970 and 1972. He also won two bronze medals at the World Sprint Championships, on account of his 1000 m. After winning an Olympic silver medal in the 1968 Games behind Verkerk, he won three gold medals at the Sapporo Games, emulating the performance of Hjalmar Andersen twenty years earlier. Schenk set 18 World Records, becoming the first man to break 2 minutes over 1500 m and the first to beat 15 minutes in the 10,000 m. By 1971, he held all World Records save the 500 m. In addition to his titles, Ard Schenk won the Oscar Mathisen Trophy (for the best speed skating performance of the season) three times, and was named Dutch athlete of the year four times. Following his triple gold in Japan, Schenk joined a newly formed professional skating circuit. While Schenk won both 1973 titles, the venture failed, and folded in 1974. A physical therapist, Schenk later became a member of the International Skating Union’s technical committee, and was the chef de mission of the Dutch Olympic team at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics.
Personal Bests: 500 – 38.9 (1971); 1000 – 1:18.8 (1971); 1500 – 1:58.7 (1971); 5000 – 7:09.8 (1972); 10000 – 14:55.9 (1971).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Ard Schenk | |||
| 1,500 metres, Men (Olympic) | 13 | |||||
| 1968 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Ard Schenk | |||
| 500 metres, Men (Olympic) | =13 | |||||
| 1,500 metres, Men (Olympic) | =2 | Silver | ||||
| 1972 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | NED |
Ard Schenk | |||
| 500 metres, Men (Olympic) | 34 | |||||
| 1,500 metres, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 5,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 10,000 metres, Men (Olympic) | 1 | Gold |
Olympic Records
Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.| Games | Date | Sport | Event | Phase | Mark | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 Winter Olympics | 16 February 1968 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 1,500 metres, Men | Final Standings | 2:05.0 | =2 |
| 1972 Winter Olympics | 6 February 1972 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 1,500 metres, Men | Final Standings | 2:02.96 | 1 |
| 1972 Winter Olympics | 7 February 1972 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 10,000 metres, Men | Final Standings | 15:01.35 | 1 |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony | NED |
Ard Schenk |
Olympic family relations
- Cousin of Henk Schenk
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Led the Adelskalender (speed skating) (Allround – 30 January 1966 - 28 February 1967 and 13 February 1971 - 13 March 1976: 176.426 (30 January 1966; Inzell, FRG), 176.326 (12 February 1967; Oslo, NOR), 175.846 (19 February 1967; Moskva, URS), 175.546 (25 February 1967; Inzell, FRG), 175.180 (26 February 1967; Inzell, FRG), 168.016 (13 February 1971; Göteborg, SWE), 167.426 (14 February 1971; Göteborg, SWE), 166.746 (13 March 1971; Inzell, FRG), 166.461 (14 March 1971; Inzell, FRG), 166.241 (4 March 1972; Inzell, FRG); Sprint – 20 February 1971 - 14 March 1971: 78.300 (20 February 1971; Inzell, FRG))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Speed Skating (1000 m – 28 February 1967 - 9 March 1968 and 20 February 1971 - 4 March 1972: 1:20.6 (28 February 1967; Inzell, FRG), 1:20.6 (5 February 1968; Davos, SUI), 1:18.8 (20 February 1971; Inzell, FRG); 1500 m – 26 January 1966 - 26 February 1967 and 16 January 1971 - 13 March 1976: 2:06.2 (26 January 1966; Davos, SUI), 2:05.3 (30 January 1966; Inzell, FRG), 1:58.7 (16 January 1971; Davos, SUI); 3000 m – 29 January 1966 - 7 March 1968 and 15 January 1971 - 2 March 1978: 4:26.2 (29 January 1966; Inzell, FRG), 4:18.4 (25 February 1967; Inzell, FRG), 4:12.6 (15 January 1971; Davos, SUI), 4:08.3 (2 March 1972; Inzell, FRG); 5000 m – 13 March 1971 - 24 March 1975: 7:12.0 (13 March 1971; Inzell, FRG), 7:09.8 (4 March 1972; Inzell, FRG); 10000 m – 14 February 1971 - 25 March 1975: 15:01.6 (14 February 1971; Göteborg, SWE), 14:55.9 (14 March 1971; Inzell, FRG); Big Combination – 31 January 1971 - 13 March 1976: 171.317 (30/31 January 1971; Oslo, NOR), 171.130 (13/14 February 1971; Göteborg, SWE), 168.248 (13/14 March 1971; Inzell, FRG), 167.420 (4/5 March 1972; Inzell, FRG))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Speed Skating Championships (3–1–0 1966 Deventer gold: Allround; 1970 Innsbruck gold: Allround; 1971 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 1972 Davos gold: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships (3–2–2 1965 Oslo bronze: Allround; 1966 Göteborg silver: Allround; 1967 Oslo silver: Allround; 1968 Göteborg bronze: Allround; 1970 Oslo gold: Allround; 1971 Göteborg gold: Allround; 1972 Oslo gold: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships (0–0–2 1971 Inzell bronze: sprint; 1972 Eskilstuna bronze: sprint)
- Listed in Olympians Who Were Elected Dutch Athlete of the Year (1966, 1970, 1971 1972)
- Listed in Olympians Who Were Awarded the Oscarstatuetten (Oscar Mathisen Award) (1970, 1971, 1972)