Olaf Poulsen (Norway)
Encyclopedia
Olaf Poulsen was a Norwegian
sports official, best known as president of the worldwide speed skating
federation International Skating Union
.
Born in Kristiania
, Poulsen was an active speed skated in his younger days. He represented the club Oslo IL, and eventually became involved in the administration of that club. He eventually became an honorary club member.
He became a member of the board of the Norwegian Skating Association
in 1966, vice president in 1968 and president from 1969 to 1973. In the International Skating Union he was a board member from 1971, vice president from 1977 and president from 1980 to 1994. From 1992 to 1994 he was also a member of the International Olympic Committee
. He retired after the 1994 Winter Olympics
, held in his native country.
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...
sports official, best known as president of the worldwide speed skating
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...
federation International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
.
Born in Kristiania
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...
, Poulsen was an active speed skated in his younger days. He represented the club Oslo IL, and eventually became involved in the administration of that club. He eventually became an honorary club member.
He became a member of the board of the Norwegian Skating Association
Norwegian Skating Association
The Norwegian Skating Association is the main skating authoritative body in Norway. It overlooks speed skating, figure skating, short track speed skating on ice and more recently inline and roller skating....
in 1966, vice president in 1968 and president from 1969 to 1973. In the International Skating Union he was a board member from 1971, vice president from 1977 and president from 1980 to 1994. From 1992 to 1994 he was also a member of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
. He retired after the 1994 Winter Olympics
1994 Winter Olympics
The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Lillehammer failed to win the bid for the 1992 event. Lillehammer was awarded the games in 1988, after having beat...
, held in his native country.