Karin Enke-Kania
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Karin•Enke-Kania (-Busch-, -Richter) |
| Used name | Karin•Enke-Kania |
| Born | 20 June 1961 in Dresden, Sachsen (GER) |
| Measurements | 180 cm / 72 kg |
| Affiliations | SC Einheit Dresden, Dresden (GER) |
| NOC |  East Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 3 |
| Silver | 4 |
| Bronze | 1 |
| Total | 8 |
Biography
East Germany’s Karin Enke was initially a leading figure skater, but later became a champion speed skater and is one of the very few athletes to have reached world class in both disciplines. As she felt that the chances for improvement on her ninth place at the 1977 European Figure Skating Championships were limited, she turned to speed skating and became one of the most successful speed skaters in history.
At three Olympics between 1980 and 1988, she won eight medals (three gold, four silver and one bronze), which remains an Olympic record for speed skating as of 2018, although since equalled by Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann. Her record at World Championships was even more impressive. She won the sprint title a record six times (1980-81, 1983-84, 1986-87) and her five victories in the all-round event were also a record for the Championships. She emulated the great Eric Heiden by winning the sprint/allround double in 1984, 1986, and 1987, only missing the 1985 Championships because of pregnancy.
Enke also bettered a total of 16 world records, most notably in the 1,500 m. Her 1:59.30, skated at the high altitude rink at Medeo in present-day Kazakhstan was 3 seconds better than her own former world record, and the first woman to finish in less than 2 minutes. The record stood for 10 years, when it was broken by Catriona Le May Doan, with help of the clap skate. Her first world record was set in December 1980 in the mini-combination at Chemnitz, Germany. During her career she set world records in the 500 once, the 1,000 twice, the 1,500 three times, and once each in the 3,000 and 5,000 metres. She also set five world records in the mini-combination, two in the small-combination and one in the sprint combination. Enke also recorded 37 national records in the GDR between 1979 and 1987.
At GDR national championships, she won a total of 17 titles, at least one in each of the events: allround (1982-83), sprint (1984, 1986), 500 m (1981, 1987), 1,000 m (1980, 1983-84, 1986, 1988), 1,500 m (1983-84, 1988), 3,000 m (1983) and 5,000 m (1983).
After marriage, she competed both as Karin Busch and later as Karin Kania. Since successfully completing her studies in educational science at the Technical University of Dresden in July 2009, she has been a qualified pedagogue, and worked as managing director of Gesop gGmbH.
Personal Bests: 500 – 39.24 (1988); 1000 – 1:17.70 (1988); 1500 – 1:59.30 (1986); 3000 – 4:17.76 (1988); 5000 – 7:39.82 (1986).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | GDR |
Karin Enke | |||
| 500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 1984 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | GDR |
Karin Enke | |||
| 500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 1988 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | GDR |
Karin Kania | |||
| 500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 2 | Silver | ||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 |
Olympic Records
Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.| Games | Date | Sport | Event | Phase | Mark | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 Winter Olympics | 15 February 1980 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 500 metres, Women | Final Standings | 41.78 | 1 |
| 1984 Winter Olympics | 9 February 1984 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 1,500 metres, Women | Final Standings | 2:03.42 WR | 1 |
| 1984 Winter Olympics | 13 February 1984 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 1,000 metres, Women | Final Standings | 1:21.61 | 1 |
| 1988 Winter Olympics | 26 February 1988 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 1,000 metres, Women | Final Standings | 1:17.70 WR | 2 |
| 1988 Winter Olympics | 27 February 1988 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 1,500 metres, Women | Final Standings | 2:00.82 | 2 |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | GDR |
Karin Enke |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Led the Adelskalender (speed skating) (Allround – 8 December 1983 - 15 January 1984, 28 January 1984 - 23 March 1984, 21 March 1986 - 23 February 1988: 173.933 (8 December 1983; Karl-Marx-Stadt, GDR) (competed as Karin Enke), 173.663 (9 December 1983; Karl-Marx-Stadt, GDR) (competed as Karin Enke), 173.162 (28 January 1984; Deventer, NED) (competed as Karin Enke), 173.120 (29 January 1984; Deventer, NED) (competed as Karin Enke), 172.808 (15 February 1984; Sarajevo, YUG) (competed as Karin Enke), 170.173 (21 March 1986; Alma-Ata, URS) (competed as Karin Kania-Enke), 168.271 (22 March 1986; Alma-Ata, URS) (competed as Karin Kania-Enke), 168.228 (5 December 1987; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Karin Kania-Enke), 167.948 (22 February 1988; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Karin Kania-Enke); Sprint – 22 February 1986 - 26 February 1988: 79.360 (22 February 1986; Karuizawa, JPN) (competed as Karin Kania), 79.210 (6 March 1986; Inzell, FRG) (competed as Karin Kania), 78.940 (21 March 1986; Medeo, URS) (competed as Karin Kania), 78.295 (22 February 1988; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Karin Kania))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Speed Skating (500 m – 21 March 1986 - 19 March 1987: 39.52 (21 March 1986; Medeo, URS) (competed as Karin Kania); 1000 m – 22 February 1986 - 26 February 1988: 1:18.84 (22 February 1986; Karuizawa, JPN) (competed as Karin Kania), 1:18.11 (5 December 1987; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Karin Kania); 1500 m – 9 February 1984 - 24 March 1984 and 6 March 1986 - 29 November 1997: 2:03.42 (9 February 1984; Sarajevo, YUG) (competed as Karin), 2:02.23 (6 March 1986; Inzell, FRG) (competed as Karin Kania), 1:59.30 (22 March 1986; Medeo, URS) (competed as Karin Kania); 3000 m – 21 March 1986 - 19 March 1987: 4:18.02 (21 March 1986; Medeo, URS) (competed as Karin Kania); Sprint Combination – 23 February 1986 - 26 February 1989: 160.060 (22/23 February 1986; Karuizawa, JPN) (competed as Karin Kania); Mini Combination – 14 February 1982 - 26 March 1983: 168.271 (13/14 February 1982; Inzell, FRG) (competed as Karin Busch-Enke); Small Combination – 22 March 1986 - 9 January 1994: 168.271 (21/22 March 1986; Medeo, URS) (competed as Karin Kania))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Speed Skating Championships (0–3–0 1981 Heerenveen silver: Allround (competed as Karin Enke); 1982 Heerenveen silver: Allround (competed as Karin Busch); 1983 Heerenveen silver: Allround (competed as Karin Enke))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships (5–2–0 1981 Sainte-Foy silver: Allround (competed as Karin Enke); 1982 Inzell gold: Allround (competed as Karin Enke); 1983 Karl-Marx-Stadt silver: Allround (competed as Karin Enke); 1984 Deventer gold: Allround (competed as Karin Enke); 1986 Den Haag gold: Allround (competed as Karin Kania); 1987 West Allis gold: Allround (competed as Karin Kania); 1988 Skien gold: Allround (competed as Karin Kania))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships (6–2–0 1980 West Allis gold: sprint (competed as Karin Enke); 1981 Grenoble gold: sprint (competed as Karin Enke); 1982 Alkmaar silver: sprint (competed as Karin Enke); 1983 Helsinki gold: sprint (competed as Karin Enke); 1984 Trondheim gold: sprint (competed as Karin Enke); 1986 Karuizawa gold: sprint (competed as Karin Kania); 1987 Sainte Foy gold: sprint (competed as Karin Kania); 1988 West Allis silver: sprint (competed as Karin Kania))