Cindy Klassen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cindy Klassen

Personal information
Born	(1979-08-12) August 12, 1979 (age 45) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Weight	71 kg (157 lb; 11.2 st)
Sport
Country	Canada
Sport	Speed skating
Medal record Women's speed skating Representing  Canada Olympic Games Gold 2006 Turin 1500 m Silver 2006 Turin Team pursuit Silver 2006 Turin 1000 m Bronze 2002 Salt Lake City 3000 m Bronze 2006 Turin 5000 m Bronze 2006 Turin 3000 m World Allround Championships Gold 2003 Gothenburg Allround Gold 2006 Calgary Allround Silver 2002 Heerenveen Allround Silver 2005 Moscow Allround Bronze 2007 Heerenveen Allround World Sprint Championships Silver 2003 Calgary Sprint Bronze 2007 Hamar Sprint World Single Distance Championships Gold 2005 Inzell 1500 m Gold 2005 Inzell 3000 m Gold 2011 Inzell Team pursuit Silver 2004 Seoul 1500 m Silver 2005 Inzell Team pursuit Silver 2007 Salt Lake City 1500 m Silver 2012 Heerenveen Team pursuit Bronze 2001 Salt Lake City 1500 m Bronze 2003 Berlin 1000 m Bronze 2004 Seoul 1000 m Bronze 2007 Salt Lake City 3000 m

Cindy Klassen is a Canadian retired long track speed skater. She was born on August 12, 1979. Cindy is famous for winning six medals at the Winter Olympics. This includes one gold, two silver, and three bronze medals.

She is the only Canadian to win five medals in a single Olympic Games. She achieved this amazing feat at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Cindy was also the first female speed skater to win five medals at one Olympics. She used to hold the world record in the 3000-meter race. She also holds Canadian records for the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races. Cindy Klassen is considered one of the best speed skaters ever. She leads the Adelskalender, which is a special ranking of all-time speed skating performances.

In 2003, Cindy became the first Canadian in 27 years to win the overall title at the World Speed Skating Championships. She has received many important awards. These include the Lou Marsh Trophy in 2006, given to Canada's top athlete. She was also named to the Order of Manitoba for her achievements. In 2010, the Canadian Mint even put her image on a Canadian quarter! This was to celebrate her six Olympic medals.

Cindy Klassen's Skating Journey

From Hockey to Speed Skating

Cindy Klassen started her sports journey playing ice hockey. She played for a youth team in Winnipeg, Canada. She even hoped to play in the 1998 Winter Olympics. However, when she wasn't chosen, she decided to try speed skating. It turned out she was a natural talent on the ice!

Overcoming a Serious Injury

In 2003, Cindy faced a big challenge. She had a serious injury that made her miss the entire 2003–04 season. During training, she fell and collided with another skater. His skate cut twelve tendons in her right arm. It was a tough time, but she worked hard to recover.

Olympic Glory in Turin 2006

Cindy was a top favorite going into the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. She had already won world titles in 2003 and 2005. She started strong by winning a silver medal in the 1000-meter race. Then, she became an Olympic champion in the 1500-meter race!

She continued to win more medals. She got a silver in the women's team pursuit. She also earned bronze medals in both the 3000-meter and 5000-meter races. After winning her fifth medal, Cindy said it was "better than expected and really a dream come true."

Cindy became the first Canadian to win five medals at one Olympic Games. She tied the record for most medals won by a speed skater at an Olympics. She also set a new record for Canadian athletes. She became the first female speed skater to win five medals in a single Olympics. With her bronze medal from the 2002 Winter Olympics, she became the first Canadian to win six career Olympic medals.

Because of her amazing performance, Cindy was chosen to carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremony. The president of the International Olympic Committee even called her the "woman of the games." After the Olympics, she signed big endorsement deals with companies like Manitoba Telecom Services and McDonald's. In December 2006, she won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete of the year.

Knee Surgeries and the 2010 Olympics

Cindy Klassen during the 2007 World Championships

Cindy faced more challenges before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In 2008, she had surgery on both her knees. Doctors said her knees might never be perfectly normal again. They even suggested she might have to stop speed skating.

Despite this, Cindy worked hard to get back on the ice. In January 2010, the Royal Canadian Mint honored her by putting her image on 22 million Canadian quarters. This was to celebrate her six Olympic medals.

At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Cindy's main goal was just to compete after her surgeries. She didn't win any medals that year. She placed 21st in the 1500-meter, 14th in the 3000-meter, and 12th in the 5000-meter races. Even though she didn't medal, she was proud to be back competing.

Return and Retirement

The colored version of the Canadian quarter depicting Klassen

After the 2010 Olympics, Cindy continued to skate despite knee pain. In October 2010, she qualified for the World Cup. She even achieved her first individual podium finish since 2008, placing second in a 3000-meter race.

Cindy was also a key part of the women's team pursuit team. They won a gold medal at the 2011 World Championships. The next year, they won a silver medal at the 2012 Worlds.

In June 2015, Cindy Klassen announced her retirement from speed skating. She said it was an "incredible honour" to represent Canada for 15 years. She felt that speed skating had given her amazing experiences and taught her many life lessons.

Life After Skating

After retiring from sports, Cindy Klassen went to university. She earned a degree in psychology. Now, she works as a constable for the Calgary Police Service.

Amazing Achievements and Awards

Cindy Klassen has received many important awards for her incredible career:

• 2005: Won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada's top female athlete.
• 2006: Won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete of the year.
• 2006: Won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award again as Canada's top female athlete.
• 2008: Featured on a special edition of the 2009 25-cent Canadian coin. She is one of the few living people (besides the Queen) to be on a coin!
• 2017: Was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

Records She Held

On March 18, 2006, Cindy Klassen set a world record in the women's 3000-meter race in Calgary, Canada. Her time was 3 minutes, 53.34 seconds. This record stood for almost 13 years! It was finally beaten on March 2, 2019, by Martina Sáblíková. Cindy Klassen is also the leader of the Adelskalender, which is a ranking of the best speed skaters of all time.

See also

• List of multiple Olympic medalists at a single Games
• List of multiple Winter Olympic medalists
• German Canadian