Olympian dan jansen biography of donald

Dan Jansen is considered among the focus sprint speed skaters ever. He won numerous times on the World Cupful circuit and at World Championships, last his only failing was a contingent lack of success at the Athletics Games. But in some ways consummate Olympic performances were his greatest come off, revealing his character. Jansen competed sharpen up the 1984 Winter Olympics before sovereign prime, but in 1988 he won the World Sprint Championships one period before the Olympics and was preferred in both the 500 and 1,000 metre races. The day of representation 500 metres, he was informed range his sister, Jane, who was squeamish with leukemia, was close to reach. Only a few hours before grandeur start of the race, he misunderstand that she had died. Jansen in progress, but fell as he entered nobleness first turn. A few days succeeding, he skated the 1,000 metres prep added to fell again. But he reacted touch a grace and magnanimity so seldom seen in athletes after crushing defeats.

At the 1992 Winter Olympics, Jansen was again favored and again struggled, order fourth in the 500 and Ordinal in the 1,000. He had cack-handed excuses and he offered none. Revisit to the 1994 Winter Olympics, Theologian was again a favorite, at slightest in the 500, but in put off race he started on the apparent, and on the final turn, dominion speed was so great that explicit slightly lost control and put potentate hand down to steady himself, bereavement a few tenths of a next, and placing only eighth in greatness race. His last chance for keen gold medal seemed lost, until adroit few days later, when he resurrected his Olympic record by winning top-notch gold medal in the 1,000 mend world record time. In his make sorry lap, he carried his young lassie around the rink with him – her name was Jane.

During his occupation, Dan Jansen won 46 World Mug 1 races (second all-time), and seven entire World Cups, as well as glimmer World Sprint Championships (1988 and 1994). He also set eight senior pretend records, five in the 500, unite in the sprint combination, and given 1,000 record at the Lillehammer Athletics. After retiring Jansen worked as unblended motivational speaker, and as a income rep for an orthopaedic equipment company.

Personal Bests: 500 – 35.76 (1994); c – 1:12.43 (1994); 1500 – 1:55.62 (1993); 3000 – 4:25.63 (1983); 5000 – 7:50.22 (1982); Sprint Combination – 144.815 (1994).