Hjalmar Andersen
Encyclopedia
Hjalmar "Hjallis" Johan Andersen (born 12 March 1923) is a former speed skater
from Norway
who won three gold medals at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games
of Oslo
, Norway. He was the only triple gold medalist at the 1952 Winter Olympics, and as such, became the most successful athlete there.
, an island off the coast of Nordland
in Norway. He grew up in Lademoen
, a part of Trondheim
where mostly workers lived, and where sport and friendship was an important part of life. He worked in his own sports store in Trondheim. He made his international debut at the 1948 Winter Olympic Games
of St. Moritz
, Switzerland
. He won the qualifying race for 1500 m, but he was still not selected for the Norwegian team for this distance. He was selected for the 10000 m team, but because of the terrible ice conditions he did not finish the race.
Andersen was the best skater of the world in the period of 1950 to 1952. In each of those three years, he became World Allround Champion
, making him one of only five male skaters to have won this title in three consecutive years – the other four being Oscar Mathisen
(1912–1914), Ard Schenk
(1970–1972), Eric Heiden
(1977–1979), and Sven Kramer
(2007–2009). In those same years, 1950–1952, he was also European Allround Champion and Norwegian Allround Champion, thus winning the "triple" (World, European, and National Allround Championships) for three consecutive years. In addition, he also set three world records in those three years, as well as winning three gold medals (on the 1500 m, the 5000 m, and the 10000 m) at the 1952 Winter Olympics of Oslo.
Andersen quit skating after the 1952 Winter Olympics, but he was talked into giving it a new try in 1954. He became Norwegian Champion for the fourth time and won both the 5000 m and 10000 m at the European Championships in Davos
, Switzerland
that year, winning silver in the overall standings. He qualified for the 1956 Olympics
and earned a sixth place on the 10000 m
.
During his career he set four world record
s. His 10000 m world record in 1949 (16:57.4) was the first official world record below 17 minutes on the distance. As it was skated outside of Norway it did not count as a Norwegian national record, of which Andersen set eight during his skating career. Andersen represented Sportsklubben Falken (Sports Club Falcon) in Trondheim.
Andersen was also a great cyclist
on a national level, and he was awarded the Egebergs Ærespris
in 1951 for his achievements in speed skating and cycling.
After he ended his skating career, he moved to Severin Kjaers vei in Toensberg (where he still lives). He started a long and joyful career in "the welfare service for merchant shipping". He married his teenage sweetheart Gerd and they lived together until she died in 2003. They had three children; Jan Erik, Eli and Gunn Heidi.
Note that in the days Hjalmar skated a Norwegian record could only be skated in Norway itself, so his Davos world record could not become a Norwegian record as well.
date 500 m 1500 m 5000 m 10000 m points
24-01-1952 42,2 2.17,4 8.03,7 17.08,8 187,810 (Nikolay Mamonov
)
10-02-1952 43,7 2.16,4 8.07,3 16.32,6 187,526
18-01-1954 42,2 2.17,4 8.03,7 16.52,2 186,980 (Nikolay Mamonov
)
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...
from 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...
who won three gold medals at the 1952 Winter Olympic Games
1952 Winter Olympics
The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, took place in Oslo, Norway, from 14 to 25 February 1952. Discussions about Oslo hosting the Winter Olympic Games began as early as 1935; the city wanted to host the 1948 Games, but World War II made that impossible...
of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway. He was the only triple gold medalist at the 1952 Winter Olympics, and as such, became the most successful athlete there.
Short biography
Hjalmar Andersen was born on RødøyRødøy
Rødøy is a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Helgeland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vågaholmen. The municipality consists of islands outside Norway's second biggest glacier, Svartisen.Rødøy was established as a...
, an island off the coast of Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
in Norway. He grew up in Lademoen
Lademoen
Lademoen is a residential area in Trondheim, Norway about two kilometers east of the city centre located just east of Nedre Elvehavn, west of Leangen, south of Nyhavna and north of Rosenborg....
, a part of Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
where mostly workers lived, and where sport and friendship was an important part of life. He worked in his own sports store in Trondheim. He made his international debut at the 1948 Winter Olympic Games
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...
of 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...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. He won the qualifying race for 1500 m, but he was still not selected for the Norwegian team for this distance. He was selected for the 10000 m team, but because of the terrible ice conditions he did not finish the race.
Andersen was the best skater of the world in the period of 1950 to 1952. In each of those three years, he became World Allround Champion
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...
, making him one of only five male skaters to have won this title in three consecutive years – the other four being 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...
(1912–1914), Ard Schenk
Ard Schenk
Adrianus "Ard" Schenk is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World...
(1970–1972), Eric Heiden
Eric Heiden
Eric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
(1977–1979), and Sven Kramer
Sven Kramer
Sven Kramer is a Dutch long track speed skater. He is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meter in Vancouver 2010, and four-time European and World Allround Champion. He is also three-time world champion and world record holder in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the team pursuit...
(2007–2009). In those same years, 1950–1952, he was also European Allround Champion and Norwegian Allround Champion, thus winning the "triple" (World, European, and National Allround Championships) for three consecutive years. In addition, he also set three world records in those three years, as well as winning three gold medals (on the 1500 m, the 5000 m, and the 10000 m) at the 1952 Winter Olympics of Oslo.
Andersen quit skating after the 1952 Winter Olympics, but he was talked into giving it a new try in 1954. He became Norwegian Champion for the fourth time and won both the 5000 m and 10000 m at the European Championships in Davos
Davos
Davos is a municipality in the district of Prättigau/Davos in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It has a permanent population of 11,248 . Davos is located on the Landwasser River, in the Swiss Alps, between the Plessur and Albula Range...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
that year, winning silver in the overall standings. He qualified for the 1956 Olympics
1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. This celebration of the Games was held from 26 January to 5 February 1956. Cortina, which had originally been awarded the 1944 Winter Olympics, beat out...
and earned a sixth place on the 10000 m
Speed skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics - Men's 10000 metres
The 10000 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1956 Winter Olympics programme. It was the last speed skating contest at this Games. The competition was held on naturally frozen ice on the Lake Misurina. It was held on Tuesday, January 31, 1956 started at 10 a.m...
.
During his career he set four world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
s. His 10000 m world record in 1949 (16:57.4) was the first official world record below 17 minutes on the distance. As it was skated outside of Norway it did not count as a Norwegian national record, of which Andersen set eight during his skating career. Andersen represented Sportsklubben Falken (Sports Club Falcon) in Trondheim.
Andersen was also a great cyclist
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
on a national level, and he was awarded the Egebergs Ærespris
Egebergs Ærespris
The Egebergs Ærespris is a prize awarded to Norwegian athletes who excel in more than one sport. The prize was created by Ferdinand Julian Egeberg, and consists of a bronze statuette modelled by sculptor Magnus Vigrestad.-History:...
in 1951 for his achievements in speed skating and cycling.
After he ended his skating career, he moved to Severin Kjaers vei in Toensberg (where he still lives). He started a long and joyful career in "the welfare service for merchant shipping". He married his teenage sweetheart Gerd and they lived together until she died in 2003. They had three children; Jan Erik, Eli and Gunn Heidi.
Medals
An overview of medals won by Andersen 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:... |
1952 (1500 m) 1952 (5000 m) 1952 (10000 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... |
1950 1951 1952 |
– | – |
| 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... |
1950 1951 1952 |
1949 1954 |
– |
| Norwegian Allround | 1950 1951 1952 1954 |
– | 1949 1956 |
World records
Over the course of his career, Andersen skated four world records:| Event | Result | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10000 m | 16:57.4 | 6 February 1949 | 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... |
| 5000 m | 8:07.3 | 13 January 1951 | Trondheim Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of... |
| 10000 m | 16:51.4 | 27 January 1952 | Gjøvik Gjøvik is a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality... |
| 10000 m | 16:32.6 | 10 February 1952 | 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... |
Norwegian records
| Event | Result | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big combination Samalog Samalog is a scoring system in speed skating. It is used in allround tournaments to convert results at various distances into points in order to determine an overall champion... |
193.940 | 29 January 1950 | Trondheim Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of... |
| Big combination Samalog Samalog is a scoring system in speed skating. It is used in allround tournaments to convert results at various distances into points in order to determine an overall champion... |
192.708 | 12 February 1950 | 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... |
| 5000 m | 8:13.8 | 4 March 1950 | Gjøvik Gjøvik is a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality... |
| 5000 m | 8:07.3 | 13 January 1951 | Trondheim Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of... |
| Big combination Samalog Samalog is a scoring system in speed skating. It is used in allround tournaments to convert results at various distances into points in order to determine an overall champion... |
190.707 | 14 January 1951 | Trondheim Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of... |
| 10000 m | 17:00.1 | 20 January 1952 | 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... |
| 10000 m | 16:51.4 | 27 January 1952 | Gjøvik Gjøvik is a town and a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Gjøvik.In 1861, the village of Gjøvik in the municipality of Vardal was granted town status and was separated from Vardal to form a separate municipality... |
| 10000 m | 16:32.6 | 10 February 1952 | 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... |
Note that in the days Hjalmar skated a Norwegian record could only be skated in Norway itself, so his Davos world record could not become a Norwegian record as well.
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Andersen skated his personal records.| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 43.7 | 13 January 1951 | Trondheim-Stadion Trondheim Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of... |
41.8 |
| 1000 m | 1:30.6 | 2 February 1954 | 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... |
1:28.4 |
| 1500 m | 2:16.4 | 6 February 1949 | 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... |
2:13.8 |
| 3000 m | 4:49.6 | 30 January 1954 | 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... |
4:40.2 |
| 5000 m | 8:06.5 | 29 January 1956 | Lagua Misurina Lake Misurina Lake Misurina is the greater natural lake of the Cadore and it is 1,754 m above sea level, fraction of Auronzo di Cadore . The perimeter is 2.6 km long, while the depth is 5 m.... |
7:45.6 |
| 10000 m | 16:32.6 | 10 February 1952 | Hamar-Stadion 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... |
16:51.4 |
Adelskalender
Andersen had a final Adelskalender score of 187.446 points. He held first place on the Adelskalender for 708 days between 1952 and 1954.date 500 m 1500 m 5000 m 10000 m points
24-01-1952 42,2 2.17,4 8.03,7 17.08,8 187,810 (Nikolay Mamonov
Nikolay Mamonov
Nikolay Mamonov is a former Soviet speedskater.He set world record in 5,000 m in Medeo in 1952, with the time 8:03.7.-References:...
)
10-02-1952 43,7 2.16,4 8.07,3 16.32,6 187,526
18-01-1954 42,2 2.17,4 8.03,7 16.52,2 186,980 (Nikolay Mamonov
Nikolay Mamonov
Nikolay Mamonov is a former Soviet speedskater.He set world record in 5,000 m in Medeo in 1952, with the time 8:03.7.-References:...
)
External links
- Hjalmar Anderson at SkateResults.com
- Hjalmar Anderson. Deutsche Eisschnelllauf Gemeinschaft e.V. (German Skating Association).
- Evert Stenlund's Adelskalender pages
- Historical World Records. International Skating Union.
- National Championships results. Norges Skøyteforbund (Norwegian Skating Association).
- Development of Norwegian records 1880-2007. Norges Skøyteforbund (Norwegian Skating Association).