Johann Olav Koss facts for kids
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 29 October 1968 Drammen, Norway |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 77 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Norway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Speed skating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1986 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1994 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 500 m: 37.98 (1994) 1000 m: 1:14.9 (1993) 1500 m: 1:51.29 (1994) 3000 m: 3:57.52 (1990) 5000 m: 6:34.96 (1994) 10 000 m: 13:30.55 (1994) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Johann Olav Koss (born October 29, 1968) is a famous former speed skater from Norway. He is known for winning four gold medals at the Winter Olympics, with three of them won at the 1994 Winter Olympics held in his home country.
Contents
Life and Career of Johann Olav Koss
Johann Olav Koss was born in Drammen, Norway. He started his skating career early. In 1987, he became the Norwegian Junior Champion.
Early Skating Success
Koss began competing with senior skaters in 1988. His big breakthrough came in 1990. He won the World Allround Speed Skating Championships in Innsbruck, Austria. Over the next four years, he won two more world titles. He also won the European Allround Championships in 1991. Koss earned a total of twenty-three wins in the Speed Skating World Cup. He also won four overall World Cup titles.
Olympic Achievements
Koss first competed in the Winter Olympics in 1992. This was at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville. He had surgery just five days before his first race. Despite this, he won a gold medal in the 1,500 meter race. He also won a silver medal in the 10,000 meter race.
In 1994, Koss had an amazing year. He won three gold medals at the 1994 Winter Olympics in his home country of Norway. He set new world records in all three races. Two of these records lasted for many years. Because of his great performance, Sports Illustrated magazine named him Sportsman of the Year in 1994. He also received the Oscar Mathisen Award three times for his achievements.
Life After Skating
After his speed skating career, Johann Olav Koss studied to become a physician in Australia. He became an ambassador for UNICEF, which helps children around the world. He was also a member of the International Olympic Committee for a while.
In 2000, Koss started an organization called Right To Play. This group uses sports and games to help children and young people. They work in many countries, helping over a million children each week. Right To Play has many staff and volunteers worldwide. Koss is still very involved with the organization, helping with fundraising.
Koss has received special honors for his work. He has Honorary Doctorates from several universities. On July 1, 2015, he was made an Honorary Member of the Order of Canada. In 2018, he was recognized by the Olympians for Life project. This project honors athletes who use sports to make the world a better place.
Johann Olav Koss married Jennifer Lee in 2009. They have four children together.
Medals and Championships
Here is a list of the medals Johann Olav Koss won at major championships:
| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 1992 (1,500 m) 1994 (1,500 m) 1994 (5,000 m) 1994 (10,000 m) |
1992 (10,000 m) | – |
| World Allround | 1990 1991 1994 |
1993 | 1992 |
| World Cup | 1990 (1,500 m) 1991 (1,500 m) 1991 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) 1994 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) |
1992 (1,500 m) 1992 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) 1993 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) |
1990 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) |
| European Allround | 1991 | 1992 1993 1994 |
– |
| Norwegian Allround | 1991 1992 1993 1994 |
1989 1990 |
– |
| Norwegian Single Distance | 1989 (1,500 m) 1989 (5,000 m) 1990 (1,500 m) 1990 (5,000 m) 1990 (10,000 m) 1991 (1,500 m) 1991 (5,000 m) 1991 (10,000 m) 1993 (1,000 m) 1993 (5,000 m) 1994 (1,500 m) |
1989 (1,000 m) 1990 (1,000 m) 1992 (1,000 m) 1992 (5,000 m) |
1988 (10,000 m) 1991 (1,000 m) 1992 (1,500 m) 1994 (5,000 m) |
| Norwegian Marathon | – | 1988 | – |
Skating Records
World Records Set by Koss
Johann Olav Koss set ten world records during his career:
| Event | Time | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 m | 3.57,52 | 13 March 1990 | Heerenveen |
| 5000 m | 6.41,73 | 9 February 1991 | Heerenveen |
| 10,000 m | 13.43,54 | 10 February 1991 | Heerenveen |
| Big combination | 157.396 | 10 February 1991 | Heerenveen |
| 5000 m | 6.38,77 | 22 January 1993 | Heerenveen |
| 5000 m | 6.36,57 | 13 March 1993 | Heerenveen |
| 5000 m | 6.35,53 | 4 December 1993 | Hamar |
| 5000 m | 6.34,96 | 13 February 1994 | Hamar |
| 1500 m | 1.51,29 | 16 February 1994 | Hamar |
| 10,000 m | 13.30,55 | 20 February 1994 | Hamar |
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Koss's Personal Best Records
These are Johann Olav Koss's fastest times in different races. The "WR" column shows what the world record was on the day he set his personal best.
| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 37.98 | 7 January 1994 | Hamar | 35.92 |
| 1,000 m | 1:14.9 | 10 January 1993 | Hamar | 1:12.58 |
| 1,500 m | 1:51.29 | 16 February 1994 | Hamar | 1:51.60 |
| 3,000 m | 3:57.52 | 13 March 1990 | Heerenveen | 3:59.27 |
| 5,000 m | 6:34.96 | 13 February 1994 | Hamar | 6:35.53 |
| 10,000 m | 13:30.55 | 20 February 1994 | Hamar | 13:43.54 |
| Big combination | 157.257 | 9 January 1994 | Hamar | 156.882 |
Source: SpeedskatingResults.com
Koss was ranked number one on the Adelskalender, which is an all-time ranking for speed skaters, for a total of 1,998 days.
See also
In Spanish: Johann Olav Koss para niños
- List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games
