Anni Friesinger-Postma
Biographical information
| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Female |
| Full name | Anna Christine "Anni"•Friesinger-Postma |
| Used name | Anni•Friesinger-Postma |
| Nick/petnames | Super Sexy Anni |
| Born | 11 January 1977 in Bad Reichenhall, Bayern (GER) |
| Measurements | 169 cm / 64 kg |
| Affiliations | DEC Frillensee, Inzell (GER) |
| NOC |  Germany |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 3 |
| Silver | 0 |
| Bronze | 2 |
| Total | 5 |
Biography
Anni Friesinger was born in a speed skating family. Her parents Georg and Janina (Korowicka) were both active in the 1970s, and her younger siblings Jan and Agnes also competed at international level. She was among the world’s elite since her senior debut in 1996, and won her first Olympic medal in 1998. From 2000 on, she became the most dominant female skater, winning world titles in all-round, sprint and single distance competition. In 2009 she was married to Ids Postma who started for the Netherlands for several years.
She was favored to win three golds in Salt Lake City, but won only one, in the 1500 m, finishing 4th, 5th and 6th in her other events. Four years later, she again missed out on individual gold with a bronze and two 4th places. However, with the German team she won her second Olympic gold in the inaugural women’s team pursuit event. In 2010 she had disappointing results in the individuals but an impressive performance in the women’s team pursuit when she struggled in the last round of the semifinal against the USA and fell just a few metres from the finish line. Sliding on the ice, she turned her body to cross the finish line with her blade first, saving the victory for Germany. In the final Katrin Mattscherodt substituted for Friesinger, and the team won the gold medal.
Personal Bests: 500 – 37.77 (2007); 1000 – 1:13.49 (2008); 1500 – 1:53.09 (2008); 3000 – 3:58.52 (2006); 5000 – 6:58.39 (2002).
Results
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | GER |
Anni Friesinger | |||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 5 | |||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 2002 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | GER |
Anni Friesinger | |||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 5 | |||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 1 | Gold | ||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 5,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 6 | |||||
| 2006 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | GER |
Anni Friesinger | |||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 3 | Bronze | ||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| 3,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 4 | |||||
| Team Pursuit (6 laps), Women (Olympic) | Germany | 1 | Gold | |||
| 2010 Winter Olympics | Speed Skating (Skating) | GER |
Anni Friesinger-Postma | |||
| 1,000 metres, Women (Olympic) | 14 | |||||
| 1,500 metres, Women (Olympic) | 9 | |||||
| Team Pursuit (6 laps), Women (Olympic) | Germany | 1 | Gold |
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 | 4:09.44 | 3 |
| 2002 Winter Olympics | 10 February 2002 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 3,000 metres, Women | Final Standings | 3:59.39 | 4 |
| 2002 Winter Olympics | 20 February 2002 | Speed Skating (Skating) | 1,500 metres, Women | Final Standings | 1:54.02 WR | 1 |
Olympic family relations
- Wife of Ids Postma
- Sister of Jan Friesinger
- Daughter of Janina Korowicka
Special Notes
- Listed in Olympians Who Led the Adelskalender (speed skating) (Allround – 9 March 2001 - 21 December 2001: 159.650 (9 March 2001; Salt Lake City, USA) (competed as Anni Friesinger), 159.390 (8 December 2001; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Anni Friesinger))
- Listed in Olympians Who Set a World Record in Speed Skating (1500 m – 29 March 1998 - 20 March 1999, 4 March 2001 - 9 January 2005, and 6 November 2005 - 20 November 2005: 1:56.95 (29 March 1998; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Anni Friesinger), 1:54.38 (4 March 2001; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Anni Friesinger), 1:54.02 (20 February 2002; Salt Lake City, USA) (competed as Anni Friesinger), 1:53.22 (6 November 2005; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Anni Friesinger); Team Pursuit – 13 November 2005 - 6 December 2009: 2:56.04 (13 November 2005; Calgary, CAN) (competed as Anni Friesinger))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the European Speed Skating Championships (5–1–0 1998 Helsinki silver: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2000 Hamar gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2002 Erfurt gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2003 Heerenveen gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2004 Heerenveen gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2005 Heerenveen gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships (3–1–1 1998 Heerenveen bronze: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2001 Budapest gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2002 Heerenveen gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2005 Moskva gold: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2007 Heerenveen silver: Allround (competed as Anni Friesinger))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships (12–9–1 1997 Warszawa silver: 1500 m and 3000 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 1998 Calgary gold: 1500 m, bronze: 3000 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2000 Nagano silver: 1500 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2001 Salt Lake City gold: 1500 m, silver: 3000 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2003 Berlin gold: 1000 m, 1500 m, and 3000 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2004 Seoul gold: 1000 m and 1500 m, silver: 3000 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2005 Inzell gold: 5000 m and team pursuit, silver: 1000 m and 1500 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2007 Salt Lake City silver: 1000 m; 2008 Nagano gold: 1000 m and 1500 m (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2009 Vancouver gold: 1500 m, silver: 1000 m (competed as Anni Friesinger))
- Listed in Olympians Who Won a Medal at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships (1–2–0 2004 Nagano silver: sprint (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2007 Hamar gold: sprint (competed as Anni Friesinger); 2008 Heerenveen silver: sprint (competed as Anni Friesinger))
- Listed in Olympians Who Were Awarded the Oscarstatuetten (Oscar Mathisen Award) (2003)