Roald Larsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Roald Larsen

Personal information
Born	(1898-02-01)1 February 1898
Died	28 July 1959(1959-07-28) (aged 62)
Sport
Country	Norway
Sport	Speed skating
Retired	1928
Medal record Men's speed skating Representing  Norway Olympic Games Silver 1924 Chamonix 1500 m Silver 1924 Chamonix Allround Bronze 1924 Chamonix 500 m Bronze 1924 Chamonix 5000 m Bronze 1924 Chamonix 10000 m Bronze 1928 St.Moritz 500 m World Championships Gold 1924 Helsinki Allround Silver 1922 Kristiania Allround Silver 1926 Trondheim Allround Bronze 1925 Oslo Allround European Championships Gold 1924 Kristiania Allround Silver 1925 St. Moritz Allround Bronze 1923 Hamar Allround Bronze 1928 Oslo Allround Bronze 1929 Davos Allround

Roald Morel Larsen (born February 1, 1898 – died July 28, 1959) was a famous speed skater from Norway. He was born in Kristiania, which is now known as Oslo.

Roald's father, Hans Jacob Larsen, worked as a glazier, which is someone who installs glass in windows and doors. Roald later followed in his father's footsteps.

Roald Larsen's Amazing Skating Career

Roald Larsen was a very successful speed skater. He skated for a club called Kristiania Skøiteklub, which is now known as Oslo Skøiteklub.

His Best Year: 1924 Olympics and Championships

The year 1924 was Roald's most successful. He won many important titles:

• He became the World Allround Champion.
• He also won the European Allround Championship.
• He was the Norwegian Allround Champion that year too.

At the 1924 Winter Olympics in Chamonix, France, Roald won five medals!

• He earned two silver medals.
• He also won three bronze medals.

One of his silver medals was for the allround event. This event combined results from four different races: 500 meters, 1500 meters, 5000 meters, and 10000 meters. This was the only time the Olympics had an allround speed skating event.

More Medals and Rivalries

Roald continued to win more medals in the years after 1924. He even won another bronze medal at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Roald Larsen often competed against another great skater named Clas Thunberg. Even when Roald won an Olympic medal, Thunberg usually finished ahead of him in the same race.

After 1928, Roald didn't compete as much, but he still skated occasionally until 1936.

Life After Skating: A Glazier's Legacy

After he stopped speed skating, Roald Larsen became a full-time glazier, just like his father. In 1937, he started his own glazier company in Oslo called Roald Larsen AS.

Roald Larsen passed away in 1959 when he was 62 years old. His company, Roald Larsen AS, still exists today and works on construction projects.

Roald Larsen's Medals and Achievements

Here is a summary of the medals Roald Larsen won at major championships:

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com & Skoyteforbundet.no

Skating Records

World Records Set by Roald Larsen

During his career, Roald Larsen set one world record:

Source: ISU.org

Roald Larsen's Personal Best Times

Roald's personal best time for the 1000-meter race was the same as a Oscar Mathisen's world record from 20 years earlier.

Roald Larsen's Adelskalender score was 194.655 points. His highest position on the Adelskalender ranking was second place.