Charles Mathiesen
Encyclopedia
Charles Mathiesen was a speed skater
whose speed skating career lasted for 18 years (from 1930 to 1948), while being at the world top during most of those years.
, Norway
. Skating for Drammens Skøyteklubb (Drammen's Skating Club – the same club Ivar Ballangrud
represented for a while), Charles Mathiesen made his international debut in 1933, finishing eighth at the World Allround Championships
. The following year, Mathiesen won his first medal when he took the silver at the Norwegian Allround Championships (held at his hometown of Drammen) behind Michael Staksrud
. Interestingly, Mathiesen would never win the Norwegian Allround Championships, being the "eternal runner-up" behind skaters like Ballangrud, Staksrud, Hans Engnestangen
, and a few more, winning silver a total number of six times.
The season after winning his first medal, Mathiesen participated in the 1936 Winter Olympics
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
and became Olympic Champion on the 1,500 m. He skated a new Olympic record on that distance, but did not beat the world record set by Oscar Mathisen
22 year earlier. However, he turned out to be the only skater who was able to beat his teammate Ivar Ballangrud during those Olympics and thereby the only one to keep Ballangrud from winning Olympic gold on all four distances.
More national and international successes followed, including becoming European Allround Champion
in 1938 and – at the World Allround Championships two weeks after that – coming very close to breaking the world record on the 10,000 m. However, he was paired against Ballangrud in his 10,000 m race, and although both finished in the same time of 17:14.4, Ballangrud was declared the winner and therefore also became the new world record holder. Times were measured to a precision of only one tenth of a second in those days and so a time of 17:14.4 on the 10,000 m – an average speed of 9.57 m/s – meant that one skater could finish almost one meter (a little over three feet) behind another skater and still have the same time. Two years later, though, he did skate a world record on the 10,000 m and it would stand for almost 9 years.
Mathiesen probably would have won more medals if it had not been for World War II
. As a result of that war, the European Allround Championships were not held in the years 1940-1945, nor the World Allround Championships in the years 1940-1946. In fact, Mathiesen proved that he was (still) at the world top immediately before the war and immediately after the war by winning bronze at Unofficial World Championships held in 1940 and 1946. In those same years, he also won his last two silver medals at the Norwegian Allround Championships.
Twelve years after having won his 1,500 m Olympic gold medal, Mathiesen participated in the 5,000 m at the 1948 Winter Olympics
in St. Moritz
, but the relatively low oxygen levels at the ice rink there – located 1,856 m (6,089 ft) above sea level – caused him to have trouble breathing and 3,000 m into his 5,000 m race, he collapsed and was taken to a hospital.
Mathiesen has an Adelskalender score of 189.345 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was a second place.
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
whose speed skating career lasted for 18 years (from 1930 to 1948), while being at the world top during most of those years.
Biography
Mathiesen was born in DrammenDrammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Skating for Drammens Skøyteklubb (Drammen's Skating Club – the same club Ivar Ballangrud
Ivar Ballangrud
Ivar Ballangrud was a Norwegian speed skater, a four-time Olympic champion in Speed Skating. As the only triple gold medalists at the 1936 Winter Olympics, Ballangrud was the most successful athlete there.-Biography:Ivar Ballangrud was one of the best speed skaters in the world for a period of 15...
represented for a while), Charles Mathiesen made his international debut in 1933, finishing eighth at the World Allround Championships
World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world...
. The following year, Mathiesen won his first medal when he took the silver at the Norwegian Allround Championships (held at his hometown of Drammen) behind Michael Staksrud
Michael Staksrud
Michael Staksrud was a Norwegian World Champion in speed skating.-Biography:Born in Gran, in the district of Hadeland, Staksrud started his speed skating career at Hamar Idrettslag . From 1937 onward, he represented Oslo Skøiteklub...
. Interestingly, Mathiesen would never win the Norwegian Allround Championships, being the "eternal runner-up" behind skaters like Ballangrud, Staksrud, Hans Engnestangen
Hans Engnestangen
Hans Engnestangen was a Norwegian speed skater and world champion. He held the world records on both the 500 and 1500 meter distance for more than ten years....
, and a few more, winning silver a total number of six times.
The season after winning his first medal, Mathiesen participated in the 1936 Winter Olympics
1936 Winter Olympics
The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin...
in Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a mountain resort town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in the Oberbayern region, and the district is on the border with Austria...
and became Olympic Champion on the 1,500 m. He skated a new Olympic record on that distance, but did not beat the world record set by Oscar Mathisen
Oscar Mathisen
Oscar Wilhelm Mathisen was a Norwegian speed skater and celebrity, almost rivalling Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen as symbols for a young nation...
22 year earlier. However, he turned out to be the only skater who was able to beat his teammate Ivar Ballangrud during those Olympics and thereby the only one to keep Ballangrud from winning Olympic gold on all four distances.
More national and international successes followed, including becoming European Allround Champion
European Speed Skating Championships
The European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The...
in 1938 and – at the World Allround Championships two weeks after that – coming very close to breaking the world record on the 10,000 m. However, he was paired against Ballangrud in his 10,000 m race, and although both finished in the same time of 17:14.4, Ballangrud was declared the winner and therefore also became the new world record holder. Times were measured to a precision of only one tenth of a second in those days and so a time of 17:14.4 on the 10,000 m – an average speed of 9.57 m/s – meant that one skater could finish almost one meter (a little over three feet) behind another skater and still have the same time. Two years later, though, he did skate a world record on the 10,000 m and it would stand for almost 9 years.
Mathiesen probably would have won more medals if it had not been for World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. As a result of that war, the European Allround Championships were not held in the years 1940-1945, nor the World Allround Championships in the years 1940-1946. In fact, Mathiesen proved that he was (still) at the world top immediately before the war and immediately after the war by winning bronze at Unofficial World Championships held in 1940 and 1946. In those same years, he also won his last two silver medals at the Norwegian Allround Championships.
Twelve years after having won his 1,500 m Olympic gold medal, Mathiesen participated in the 5,000 m at the 1948 Winter Olympics
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
in St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, but the relatively low oxygen levels at the ice rink there – located 1,856 m (6,089 ft) above sea level – caused him to have trouble breathing and 3,000 m into his 5,000 m race, he collapsed and was taken to a hospital.
Medals
An overview of medals won by Mathiesen at important championships he participated in, listing the years in which he won each:| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Speed skating at the Winter Olympics Speed skating has been featured as a sport in the Winter Olympics since the first winter games in 1924. Women's events were added to the Olympic program for the first time in 1960.-History:... |
1936 (1,500 m) | – | – |
| World Allround World Allround Speed Skating Championships The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world... |
– | – | 1938 1939 |
| European Allround European Speed Skating Championships The European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The... |
1938 | 1936 1939 |
– |
| Norwegian Allround | – | 1934 1936 1937 1939 1940 1946 |
1935 1938 1948 |
World records
Over the course of his career, Mathiesen skated one world record:| Event | Result | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10,000 m | 17:01.5 | 3 March 1940 | Hamar Hamar is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849... |
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Mathiesen skated his personal records.| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 43.2 | 20 February 1940 | Oslo Bislett stadion Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here... |
41.8 |
| 1,000 m | 1:32.0 | 2 March 1940 | Hamar Hamar is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849... |
1:28.4 |
| 1,500 m | 2:15.6 | 29 January 1939 | Davos Eisstadion Davos Vaillant Arena is an arena in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Davos. It holds 7,080 people, of which 3,280 are seated... |
2:14.9 |
| 3,000 m | 4:50.6 | 10 February 1940 | Bergen | 4:49.6 |
| 5,000 m | 8:18.7 | 2 March 1940 | Hamar Hamar is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849... |
8:17.2 |
| 10,000 m | 17:01.5 | 3 March 1940 | Hamar Hamar is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849... |
17:14.4 |
Mathiesen has an Adelskalender score of 189.345 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was a second place.