Axel Paulsen facts for kids
Axel Paulsen c. 1895
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| Personal information | |
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| Born | 18 July 1855 Aker, Norway |
| Died | 9 February 1938 (aged 82) Nesodden, Norway |
Axel Paulsen (born July 18, 1855 – died February 9, 1938) was a famous Norwegian figure skater and speed skater. He is best known for inventing the Axel jump in figure skating. He also held the world title in speed skating for many years, from 1882 to 1890. In 1976, he was honored by being added to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
Biography
Axel Paulsen was born in Aker, a place near Christiania (which is now Oslo). His parents were Haagine Olsen and Johan Peter Paulsen, who was a merchant. Axel grew up in Oslo, where his father owned a coffee shop.
He started skating when he was very young. By 1870, he was already competing in both speed skating and figure skating. He was very talented in both sports.
In 1882, Axel won the World Championships in speed skating in Vienna. During this competition, he also received a special prize in figure skating. This was for a brand new jump he performed. He did this jump while wearing his speed skates! This amazing jump was later named the "Axel jump" after him.
In the winter of 1883, Paulsen traveled to North America. He took part in many skating events there. On February 8, 1883, he competed in a race in Brooklyn, New York. He raced against 17 of the fastest skaters from Norway, Canada, England, and the United States. Axel Paulsen won and set some impressive new records:
- 1 mile: 3 minutes, 34 and 3/5 seconds
- 5 miles: 19 minutes, 10 seconds
- 10 miles: 39 minutes, 7 and 3/5 seconds
In early 1885, he won both speed skating and figure skating events in Hamburg. On February 26, 1885, he had a big three-mile race. He competed against another famous speed skater named Renke van der Zee. This race took place in Frognerkilen and attracted a huge crowd. About 20,000 to 30,000 people came to watch! The winner would receive a prize of 1800 Norwegian krones. Paulsen won the race by more than one minute.
Axel Paulsen was the world speed skating champion from 1882 until 1890. He lost his title on February 1, 1890, to Hugh J. McCormick in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Besides inventing the famous Axel jump, he also designed the first modern speed skates. These skates had a metal blade that was firmly attached to the boot.
After his father passed away, Axel took over the family coffee shop. He ran it with his brother Edvin until 1936. Axel Paulsen was married twice during his life.
Images for kids
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The Axel jump
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The Axel jump
See also
In Spanish: Axel Paulsen para niños
