Cindy Klassen
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Cynthia Nicole "Cindy"•Klassen |
| Used name | Cindy•Klassen |
| Born | 12 August 1979 in Winnipeg, Manitoba (CAN) |
| Measurements | 173 cm / 71 kg |
| Affiliations | WSSC, Winnipeg (CAN) |
| NOC |  Canada |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 1 |
| Silver | 2 |
| Bronze | 3 |
| Total | 6 |
Biography
Cindy Klassen started out as a ice hockey player, but after missing the Canadian squad for the Nagano Olympics, she turned to speed skating. Her international breakthrough in that sport followed in 2001, which was succeeded by an Olympic bronze in 2002. In 2003, she was the best female skater, crowning the year with the allround world title. An injury set her back the following season, but in 2005 she won two distance world titles. This made her a huge favorite for the 2006 Olympics, and she lived up to those expectations. Entering five of the six events, she won a medal in each one - gold in the 1500 m, silver in the team pursuit and the 1000 m, bronze in the 3000 and 5000 m, making her only the fourth speedskater to win five medals in a single Olympics, following Clas Thunberg, Roald Larsen (both 1924), and Eric Heiden (1980). Klassen also led the women’s Adelskalender, the all-around record, from 2001 through the 2018-19 season, the longest time any woman has ever held that record consecutively. After her speedskating career ended, Klassen became a police officer in Calgary, Alberta.
Personal Bests: 500 – 37.51 (2006); 1000 – 1:13.11 (2006); 1500 – 1:51.79 (2006); 3000 – 3:53.34 (2006); 5000 – 6:48.97 (2006).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | CAN |
Cindy Klassen | |||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 13 | |||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 5,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 2006 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | CAN |
Cindy Klassen | |||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 5,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| Team Pursuit (6 laps), Women (Olympic) | Canada | 2 | Silver | |||
| 2010 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | CAN |
Cindy Klassen | |||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 21 | |||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 14 | |||||
| 5,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 12 | |||||
| Team Pursuit (6 laps), Women (Olympic) | Canada |
Olympic Records
Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.| Games | Date | Sport | Event | Phase | Mark | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Winter Olympics | 15 February 2006 | Speed Skating (Skating) | Team Pursuit (6 laps), Women | Match #1 | 3:01.24 | 1 |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | CAN |
Cindy Klassen |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Led the Adelskalender (speed skating) (Allround – 21 December 2001 - present: 159.195 (21 December 2001; Calgary, CAN), 158.622 (10 February 2002; Salt Lake City, USA), 158.287 (23 February 2002; Salt Lake City, USA), 158.187 (19 January 2003; Calgary, CAN), 158.037 (26 January 2003; Salt Lake City, USA), 157.783 (9 January 2005; Salt Lake City, USA), 157.673 (22 January 2005; Salt Lake City, USA), 157.640 (28 October 2005; Calgary, CAN), 157.103 (12 November 2005; Calgary, CAN), 156.443 (20 November 2005; Salt Lake City, USA), 156.031 (8 January 2006; Calgary, CAN), 154.840 (18 March 2006; Calgary, CAN), 154.560 (19 March 2006; Calgary, CAN); Sprint – 24 March 2006 - 12 December 2009: 74.240 (24 March 2006; Calgary, CAN), S74.065 (25 March 2006; Calgary, CAN))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Speed Skating (1000 m – 24 March 2006 - 28 January 2012: 1:13.46 (24 March 2006; Calgary, CAN), 1:13.11 (25 March 2006; Calgary, CAN); 1500 m – 9 January 2005 - 6 November 2005 and 20 November 2005 - 15 November 2015: 1:53.87 (9 January 2005; Salt Lake City, USA), 1:53.77 (28 October 2005; Calgary, CAN), 1:51.79 (20 November 2005; Salt Lake City, USA); 3000 m – 12 November 2005 - 2 March 2019: 3:55.75 (12 November 2005; Calgary, CAN), 3:53.34 (18 March 2006; Calgary, CAN); Team Pursuit – 14 November 2004 - 13 November 2005: 3:05.49 (14 November 2004; Hamar, NOR), 3:03.07 (20 November 2004; Berlin, GER); Sprint Combination – 25 March 2006 - 29 January 2012: 149.305 (24/25 March 2006; Calgary, CAN); Mini Combination – 17 March 2001 - 11 November 2007: 155.576 (15/17 March 2001; Calgary, CAN), 155.456 (28/30 December 2006; Calgary, CAN); Small Combination – 26 January 2003 - present: 159.723 (25/26 January 2003; Salt Lake City, USA), 159.605 (8/9 January 2005; Salt Lake City, USA), 157.177 (21/22 January 2006; Calgary, CAN), 154.580 (18/19 March 2006; Calgary, CAN))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships (2–2–1 2002 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 2003 Göteborg gold: Allround; 2005 Moskva silver: Allround; 2006 Calgary gold: Allround; 2007 Heerenveen bronze: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships (3–4–4 2001 Salt Lake City bronze: 1500 m; 2003 Berlin bronze: 1000 m; 2004 Seoul silver: 1500 m, bronze: 1000 m; 2005 Inzell gold: 1500 m and 3000 m, silver: team pursuit; 2007 Salt Lake City silver: 1500 m, bronze: 3000 m; 2011 Inzell gold: team pursuit; 2012 Heerenveen silver: team pursuit)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships (0–1–1 2003 Calgary silver: sprint; 2007 Hamar bronze: sprint)
- Listed in Olympians Who Were Awarded the Oscarstatuetten (Oscar Mathisen Award) (2006)