Claudia Pechstein facts for kids
![]() Pechstein in 2022
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Nationality | German | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | East Berlin, East Germany |
22 February 1972 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sport | Speed skating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turned pro | 1988 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Claudia Pechstein (born February 22, 1972) is a famous German speed skater. She has won many medals, including five gold medals at the Winter Olympics. With a total of nine Olympic medals (five gold, two silver, and two bronze), she was once the most successful Olympic speed skater ever. She is also the most successful German Winter Olympian of all time!
Contents
About Claudia Pechstein
Claudia Pechstein was born in East Berlin. She once held a world record for the 5000-meter race. She set this record in Salt Lake City in 2002. Claudia is also a sergeant in the German Federal Police. She trains at their sports center.
Olympic Achievements
Claudia is the first female Winter Olympian to win medals in five Olympics in a row, from 1992 to 2006. She won gold in the 5000 meters three times in a row (1994, 1998, 2002). She also won a bronze in 1992 and a silver in 2006 for the same race. In the 3000 meters, she won gold in 2002, silver in 1998, and bronze in 1994. Her fifth Olympic gold medal was in the team pursuit event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
After missing the 2010 Vancouver Games, she competed in her sixth Olympics in Sochi in 2014. She finished fourth in the 3000 meters and fifth in the 5000 meters. She also competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
In 2022, Claudia returned to the Olympic Games in Beijing. She was chosen to be the German flag-bearer for the opening ceremony. This was her eighth time at the Winter Olympics, setting a new record for female athletes!
Trying a New Sport
Claudia has also tried her hand at cycling. She competed in the German Track Championships in Berlin. She said she trained a lot on her bike as a skater, so she felt confident. She found it exciting to try a new type of competition.
A Challenging Time
In 2009, after a competition in Norway, Claudia faced a difficult situation. The International Skating Union (ISU) said her blood test results showed unusual levels. They decided to ban her from competing for two years. Claudia said she had a natural, inherited medical condition that caused these unusual blood values. She appealed the decision, but the ban was upheld.
This was a very tough time for Claudia. She continued to say she had not done anything wrong. She even tried to use new medical evidence to support her case. The ban meant she missed the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
Returning to the Ice
After her two-year ban ended, Claudia returned to speed skating in February 2011. She quickly showed her strength by winning a bronze medal in the 5000-meter race at the 2011 World Championships. She continued to compete and win medals, proving her dedication to the sport.
Claudia later took her case to German courts to clear her name. In 2022, a higher court in Germany ruled that her basic rights had been violated. This decision sent her case back to lower courts to be looked at again.
Skating Records
Claudia Pechstein has set many impressive records throughout her career.
Personal Best Times
- 500 meters: 38.99 seconds (March 18, 2006)
- 1000 meters: 1:16.00 (February 24, 2007)
- 1500 meters: 1:54.31 (November 17, 2007)
- 3000 meters: 3:57.35 (March 18, 2006)
- 5000 meters: 6:46.91 (February 23, 2002) - This was a world record for a while and is still the German record!
World Records Set by Claudia
- 3000 meters: 4:07.13 (December 13, 1997)
- 5000 meters: 6:59.61 (February 20, 1998)
- 3000 meters: 3:59.26 (March 2, 2001)
- 3000 meters: 3:57.70 (February 10, 2002)
- 5000 meters: 6:46.91 (February 23, 2002)
- Team pursuit: 2:56.04 (November 12, 2005) - with Daniela Anschütz and Anni Friesinger
Olympic Records Set by Claudia
- 3000 meters: 3:57.70 (February 10, 2002)
- 5000 meters: 6:46.91 (February 23, 2002) - This is still the German record!
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Claudia Pechstein para niños
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists
- List of multiple Winter Olympic medalists
- List of multiple Olympic medalists in one event
- List of people from Berlin