Jaap Eden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jaap Eden

Hand-colored photograph of Jaap Eden
Personal information
Birth name	Jacobus Johannes Eden
Born	(1873-10-19)19 October 1873 Groningen, Netherlands
Died	2 February 1925(1925-02-02) (aged 51) Haarlem, Netherlands
Spouse(s)	Louise Elisabeth Prinsen ​ (m. 1914)​
Sport
Country	Netherlands
Sport	Speed skating
Retired	1915
Medal record Representing the  Netherlands Men's speed skating World Allround Championships Gold 1893 Amsterdam Allround Gold 1895 Hamar Allround Gold 1896 Saint Petersburg Allround Men's bicycle racing Track Cycling World Championships Gold 1894 Antwerp 10 km Gold 1895 Cologne Sprint Silver 1894 Antwerp Sprint

Jacobus Johannes "Jaap" Eden (19 October 1873 – 2 February 1925) was a famous Dutch athlete. He is the only male athlete ever to win world championships in both speed skating and bicycle racing. This makes him a true legend in sports history!

Early Life and First Steps in Sports

Jaap Eden was born in Groningen, a city in the Netherlands. His mother passed away shortly after he was born. His father, who was a gymnastics teacher, sent young Jaap to live with his grandparents. They owned a hotel near Santpoort.

As a boy, Jaap loved being active. He enjoyed running in the sand dunes near his grandparents' home. He also loved gymnastics and, in winter, skating on ice. His amazing speed and smooth skating style caught the eye of Klaas Pander. Pander was the best Dutch skater at that time. He invited 15-year-old Jaap to train with him.

Jaap Eden's first big win was in December 1890. He won a short track race over 160 meters. Because of this victory, the Dutch Federation allowed 17-year-old Jaap to compete in the world championships.

Early Competitions and the ISU

The early world championships were organized by the Skating Club of Amsterdam. There was no international group in charge yet. Only two foreign skaters joined. American Joe Donoghue became the first champion. Jaap Eden competed in two of the four events. He finished 3rd in the half-mile and 4th in the mile race.

Jaap then entered the European Championships in Hamburg. However, he did not have much success there. The 1892 world championships were canceled due to bad weather. The European Championships that year only had Austrian skaters. Instead, Jaap competed in the Prince of Orange Cup in England. This is where he won his first international competition!

In the summer of 1892, skating officials from several European countries met in Scheveningen. They created the International Skating Union (ISU). This new group decided to hold yearly world championships. These races would be over 500m, 1500m, 5000m, and 10000m. The first ISU-governed world championships were planned for the Museumplein in Amsterdam.

Jaap Eden also played bandy at a high level. Bandy is a sport similar to ice hockey. It was introduced to the Netherlands in 1891.

Amazing Skating Successes

Just two days before the world championships, Jaap won the 1500m and 5000m Dutch championships. His time in the 1500m, 2:35.0, became the first official world record for that distance. This made Jaap, who had trained in Norway that winter, a top favorite for the world championships.

In the 1500m race, Jaap tied with Oskar Frederiksen from Norway in the first round. But Jaap beat him in a head-to-head final race. He was much better than the other skaters in the 5000m. He won by half a minute, while Frederiksen did not finish. Jaap was challenged again by Frederiksen in the first 500m race on the second day. But in the final, Jaap beat the Norwegian again.

This meant Jaap had won three races, which was enough to earn him the world title! Frederiksen set the first official world record in the 10000m. Jaap, skating alone in the last race, fell after the first lap and stopped.

After his big victory, a huge crowd welcomed Jaap Eden in his hometown of Haarlem. He became famous across the entire country.

The next winter, Jaap trained in Hamar, Norway. He then traveled to Stockholm for the world championships in February 1894. Due to bad weather, the championships were held in nearby Saltsjöbaden. In the 500m race, Jaap was paired with Frederiksen. The Norwegian made a false start, but he didn't know until the end. He was asked to re-skate right away, but he wanted to rest. Jaap, thinking Frederiksen would be disqualified, skated alone. He finished in 50.4 seconds. Frederiksen matched this time on his second try. Jaap Eden did not want to skate a tie-breaker. Frederiksen won after they drew lots.

Jaap Eden set a new world record in the 10,000m race. His time was 19:12.4, which was half a minute faster than anyone else. In the third distance, he lost to Einar Halvorsen. This meant there would be no overall world champion that year. Jaap fell and did not finish the final distance.

Two weeks later, the European championships took place in Hamar. Jaap did not compete on the first day. He officially said it was because of the strong wind. Jaap returned to the ice on the second day. He won the 5,000m race in an amazing 8:37.6. This was a world record by almost half a minute! This record lasted for nearly 17 years. It was finally broken by just 0.4 seconds by Nikolay Strunnikov.

Jaap Eden won two world championships in cycling, one each in 1894 and 1895.

Records and Achievements

Personal Best Times

Source: speedskatingbase.eu

World Records Set by Jaap Eden

Jaap Eden set several world records during his career:

• 1,500 m: 2:35.0 on 11 January 1893 in Paterswolde
• 10,000 m: 19:12.4 on 10 February 1894 in Neglingeviken
• 5,000 m: 8:37.6 on 25 February 1894 in Hamar
• 1,500 m: 2:25.4 on 23 February 1895 in Hamar
• 10,000 m: 17:56.0 on 23 February 1895 in Hamar

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com

Jaap Eden's Legacy

Jaap Eden's impact on sports is still felt today. The ice skating rinks Jaap Edenbaan (outdoor) and Jaap Edenhal (indoor) in Amsterdam are named after him.

Since 1972, the Dutch Sportsman of the year receives the Jaap Eden Award. This award is a statue created by artist Jits Bakker. It is given to the best Dutch sportsman each year, honoring Jaap Eden's incredible achievements.