Sven Kramer
Dutch speed skater with record allround titles and Olympic golds.
Voltmetro · CC BY-SA 4.0
Sven Kramer (born 23 April 1986) is a retired Dutch long track speed skater who holds the all-time record for most World Allround Championships (nine) and European Allround Championships (ten). He is a three-time Olympic champion in the 5000 meters, winning gold at the Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics, and won a record 21 gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships. Kramer was the first speed skater to win four consecutive world allround championships and eight consecutive international allround championships.
Quick Facts
- Header Color
- #dcecff
- Nationality
- Dutch
- Birth Date
- 1986-04-23
- Birth Place
- Heerenveen, Netherlands
- Height
- 1.87 m
- Weight
- 83 kg
- Country
- Netherlands
- Event
- 5000 m, 10000 m
- Turned Pro
- 2003
- Retired
- 2022
- Personal Best
- 500 m: 36.17 (2009) / 1500 m: 1:43.54 (2009) / 3000 m: 3:37.39 (2019) / 5000 m: 6:03:32 (2007) / 10 000 m: 12:38.89 (2017)
- Show Medals
- no
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Sven Kramer was born on 23 April 1986 in Heerenveen, Friesland, Netherlands, the son of former speed skater Yep Kramer and older brother of speed skater Brecht Kramer. He is a born Frisian. In his junior career, he placed second at the Junior allround world championships in 2004, won the Dutch Allround Championships at age 18, and set a world record for the 5000 m in Salt Lake City on 19 November 2005. He became Junior allround world champion the previous season and stopped junior competition to become a senior skater at age 20.
At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Kramer won silver in the 5000 m and bronze in the team pursuit after a fall in the semifinal. He won his first European Allround Championship in 2007 and his first World Allround Championship the same year. From the 2006/2007 season until the 2016/2017 season, he won 16 of the 18 international allround championships he participated in, finishing 2nd at the World Allround Championships in 2009 and 2016, and missing some European Championships. He was ranked first in the Adelskalender from November 2007 to March 2009, though he was later overtaken by Shani Davis, Patrick Roest, and Jordan Stolz (those overtakes occurred much later than the period from November 2007 to March 2009).
Kramer extended his contract with the Jumbo-Visma speed skating team on 27 March 2020 until the 2022 Winter Olympics. On 28 October 2021, it was announced that he would retire in 2022. He was awarded as Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion on 3 March 2010 and appointed as Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau on 12 March 2022.
Reader's Guide
Sven Kramer's career is defined by unprecedented dominance in allround speed skating, holding records for the most World Allround Championships (nine) and European Allround Championships (ten). He was the first skater to win four consecutive world allround titles and eight consecutive international allround titles, and he remained undefeated in 18 international allround championships over a decade. His Olympic achievements include three consecutive gold medals in the 5000 meters (2010, 2014, 2018) and a record 21 gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships, spanning the 5000 m, 10,000 m, and team pursuit. Kramer also broke world records in the 5000 m and 10,000 m three times each and held the team pursuit world record with Douwe de Vries and Marcel Bosker. His legacy is marked by his allround versatility and sustained excellence, though his Adelskalender ranking was later surpassed by others. His retirement in 2022 closed a career that reshaped the sport's standards.
Did You Know?
- Kramer was disqualified from the 10,000 m at the 2010 Winter Olympics after his coach gave incorrect lane-change directions.
- He set a new world record for the 5000 m at age 19 in Salt Lake City on 19 November 2005.
- He is in a long-term relationship with Dutch field hockey player Naomi van As since around 2012.
Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sven Kramer?
Sven Kramer is a retired Dutch long-track speed skater born on April 23, 1986, in Heerenveen, Friesland. He is widely regarded as the most decorated allround skater in the sport's history, holding all-time records for both World and European Allround titles.
How many Olympic gold medals did Sven Kramer win?
Kramer took the 5000-meter gold at three consecutive Winter Olympics: Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, and Pyeongchang 2018. That three-peat on the 5000 made him one of the most dominant distance skaters the Games have produced.
What allround records does Sven Kramer hold?
He became the first skater ever to capture four straight World Allround Championships and eight straight international allround titles. His career totals of nine World and ten European Allround golds remain untouched records in the discipline.
How many World Single Distance gold medals did Sven Kramer win?
Kramer amassed a record 21 gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships over the span of his career. No other speed skater has come close to matching that tally in the competition.
Why is Sven Kramer considered the greatest speed skater of all time?
His blend of record-setting allround dominance, a three-Olympic 5000-meter gold streak, and 21 single-distance world titles gives him a statistical profile no rival has matched. Fans and analysts frequently cite his extraordinary longevity and consistency across multiple distances as the reason he stands alone in the sport's history.
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