Claudia Pechstein
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games • Other |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Claudia•Pechstein |
| Used name | Claudia•Pechstein |
| Nick/petnames | Goldclaudi, Goldstein |
| Born | 22 February 1972 in Ost-Berlin (East Berlin), Berlin (GER) |
| Measurements | 166 cm / 61 kg |
| Affiliations | SC Berlin, Berlin (GER) / Berliner Schlittschuhclub, Berlin (GER) / Eisbären Berlin, Berlin (GER) |
| NOC |  Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 5 |
| Silver | 2 |
| Bronze | 2 |
| Total | 9 |
Biography
Overshadowed early in her career by her teammate, Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann, Claudia Pechstein has persevered to post the greatest long-distance speed skating record at the Olympic Games among women. She has won five Olympic gold medals, winning the 5,000 metres in 1994, 1998, and 2002, adding the 3,000 metres in 2002, and skating on Germany’s victorious pursuit team in 2006. In all she has won nine Olympic medals, adding a silver in the 1998 3,000, and 2006 5,000, and bronze medals in the 1994 3,000 and 1992 1,500, making her the top German Winter Olympian through the Torino Games. In 2014 at Sochi she placed an unfortunate fourth over 3000 m and fifth over 5000 m.
Through 2021, Pechstein has won 42 medals at the World Championships, with six gold medals. At the German Championships she has won 41 titles and 68 medals in all. In World Cup competition from 1991-2021, she has won 34 races and been on the podium 116 times, winning the season World Cup title at the longest distance (3,000/5,000) in 2002/03, 2003/04, and 2004/05. At the European Championships she has won the all-around title in 1998, 2006, 2009, and been on the podium 12 times.
At the 2009 World Championships, Pechstein was barred from competition on the second day due to irregularly high blood values. The ISU later found these values to be indicative of doping use and gave the German a two-year doping ban. Pechstein, denying the allegations, appealed the decision. In November 2009, the Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed the suspension. On 7 June 2016, the Federal Court of Justice of Germany rejected her appeal in a final ruling.
Pechstein returned after her suspension and qualified for the 2011 World Cup. She competed at the 2014 and 2018 Olympic Winter Games and has qualified for the 2022 Winter Olympics, when she was over 50-years-old, the oldest female competitor in Winter Olympic history and for her eighth Olympic Games. She then carried the German flag at the opening ceremony. She attempted to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics in track cycling, but did not make the German team.
Personal Bests: 500 – 38.99 (2006); 1000 – 1:16.00 (2007); 1500 – 1:54.31 (2008); 3000 – 3:57.35 (2006); 5000 – 6:46.91 (2002).
Results
Olympic Records
Records may have been broken subsequently during the same competition.| Games | Date | Sport | Event | Phase | Mark | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Winter Olympics | 11 February 1998 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 3,000 metres, Women | Final Standings | 4:08.47 | 2 |
| 1998 Winter Olympics | 20 February 1998 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 5,000 metres, Women | Final Standings | 6:59.61 WR | 1 |
| 2002 Winter Olympics | 10 February 2002 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 3,000 metres, Women | Final Standings | 3:57.70 WR | 1 |
| 2002 Winter Olympics | 23 February 2002 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 5,000 metres, Women | Final Standings | 6:46.91 WR | 1 |
Other participations
| Games | Role | NOC | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | GER |
Claudia Pechstein | |
| 2006 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Closing Ceremony | GER |
Claudia Pechstein | |
| 2022 Winter Olympics | Flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony | GER |
Claudia Pechstein |
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Led the Adelskalender (speed skating) (Allround – 13 March 1998 - 14 March 1998 and 2 March 2001 - 9 March 2001: 163.089 (13 March 1998; Heerenveen, NED), 160.477 (2 March 2001; Calgary, CAN), 159.993 (4 March 2001; Calgary, CAN))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Speed Skating (3000 m – 13 December 1997 - 14 March 1998 and 2 March 2001 - 12 November 2005: 4:07.13 (13 December 1997; Hamar, NOR), 3:59.26 (2 March 2001; Calgary, CAN), 3:57.70 (10 February 2002; Salt Lake City, USA); 5000 m – 20 February 1998 - 28 March 1998 and 23 February 2002 - 11 March 2007: 6:59.61 (20 February 1998; Nagano, JPN), 6:46.91 (23 February 2002; Salt Lake City, USA); Team Pursuit – 13 November 2005 - 6 December 2009: 2:56.04 (13 November 2005; Calgary, CAN))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Speed Skating Championships (3–6–2 1996 Heerenveen bronze: Allround; 1998 Helsinki gold: Allround; 1999 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 2001 Baselga di Pinè silver: Allround; 2002 Erfurt silver: Allround; 2003 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 2004 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 2005 Heerenveen bronze: Allround; 2006 Hamar gold: Allround; 2009 Heerenveen gold: Allround; 2012 Budapest silver: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships (1–8–2 1996 Inzell silver: Allround; 1997 Nagano silver: Allround; 1998 Heerenveen silver: Allround; 1999 Hamar silver: Allround; 2000 Milwaukee gold: Allround; 2001 Budapest silver: Allround; 2002 Heerenveen bronze: Allround; 2003 Göteborg silver: Allround; 2004 Hamar silver: Allround; 2005 Moskva bronze: Allround; 2006 Calgary silver: Allround)
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships (5–13–12 1996 Hamar gold: 5000 m, silver: 1500 m and 3000 m; 1997 Warszawa bronze: 5000 m; 1998 Calgary silver: 3000 m and 5000 m, bronze: 1500 m; 1999 Heerenveen silver: 3000 m and 5000 m; 2000 Nagano gold: 1500 m and 3000 m, silver: 5000 m; 2001 Salt Lake City silver: 5000 m, bronze: 3000 m; 2003 Berlin gold: 5000 m, silver: 3000 m; 2004 Seoul gold: 3000 m, bronze: 5000 m; 2005 Inzell silver: 3000 m and 5000 m; 2007 Salt Lake City silver: 5000 m, bronze: team pursuit; 2008 Nagano bronze: team pursuit; 2011 Inzell bronze: 5000 m and team pursuit; 2012 Heerenveen bronze: 5000 m; 2013 Sochi bronze: 3000 m and 5000 m; 2015 Heerenveen bronze: 5000 m; 2017 Gangneung silver: 5000 m)