Ab Krook facts for kids
Ab Krook (born 18 June 1944 – died 13 October 2020) was a well-known Dutch speed skating coach. He helped many athletes achieve great success. Before becoming a coach, he was also a speed skater himself.
Ab Krook's Skating Days
Ab Krook was a speed skater from 1967 to 1971. He competed in the Dutch National Championships. While he was a good skater, he became even more famous for his coaching skills.
A Champion Coach
Ab Krook was a speed skating coach for many years, from 1977 to 2006. He was a coach at eight different Winter Olympic Games. This is a huge achievement! He later became a coordinator for speed skating.
He coached several skaters to win Olympic medals:
- Annie Borckink won a gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
- Ria Visser won a silver medal at the same 1980 Winter Olympics.
- Bart Veldkamp won a gold medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics.
Ab Krook's coaching helped these athletes reach the very top of their sport.
Later Life
In 2018, Ab Krook had a serious health issue that affected his brain. He passed away in 2020 in Blaricum, Netherlands, at the age of 76. His death was due to problems from another similar health issue.