Sven Kramer facts for kids
![]() Sven Kramer after winning the 2009 European Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen
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Nationality | Dutch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Heerenveen, Netherlands |
23 April 1986 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.87 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 83 kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | www.svenkramer.nl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Speed skating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event(s) | 5000 m, 10000 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Turned pro | 2003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Retired | 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal best(s) | 500 m: 36.17 (2009) 1500 m: 1:43.54 (2009) 3000 m: 3:37.39 (2019) 5000 m: 6:03:32 (2007) 10 000 m: 12:38.89 (2017) |
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Medal record
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Sven Kramer (born 23 April 1986) is a retired Dutch long track speed skater. He is one of the most successful speed skaters of all time.
Sven Kramer won a record nine World Allround Championships. He also won a record ten European Allround Championships. He is famous for winning the 5000 meters at three different Winter Olympics: Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014, and Pyeongchang 2018.
He also won a record 21 gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships. These included eight in the 5000 meters, five in the 10,000 meters, and eight in the team pursuit. Kramer used to hold world records in the 5000 meter, 10,000 meter, and team pursuit events. He retired from speed skating in 2022.
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Personal Life
Sven Kramer was born in Heerenveen, Netherlands. His father, Yep Kramer, was also a speed skater. His older brother, Brecht Kramer, is also a speed skater.
Since 2007, Sven has been with Dutch field hockey player Naomi van As. They have a daughter born in 2018 and a son born in 2022.
For his amazing achievements in sports, Sven Kramer has received high honors in the Netherlands. He was made a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion in 2010. In 2022, he was further honored as an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
Speed Skating Career
Early Career
Sven Kramer started his career strong. In 2004, he finished second at the Junior allround world championships.
In December 2004, at just 18 years old, he won the Dutch Allround Championships. This allowed him to compete in the European Allround Championships, where he won a silver medal. He also took home a bronze medal at the World Allround Championships in 2005.
In November 2005, when he was 19, Kramer set a new world record for the 5000 m in Salt Lake City. He then became the Junior allround world champion. After this, he moved up to compete as a senior speed skater.
Olympic Debut and First World Records
At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Sven won a silver medal in the 5000 m. He also won a bronze medal in the team pursuit event. In this race, his team was leading, but Sven accidentally fell. They still managed to win bronze later.
During the 2006 World Allround Championships in Calgary, Kramer set a new world record in the 10,000 meter event. He won the two longest races but finished with a bronze medal overall.
Becoming a Champion
The 2006–2007 season was a big one for Kramer. He won his first European Allround Champion title in Italy. He then became World Allround Champion for the first time. He set new world records in the 10,000 m and the team pursuit. He was named "Skater of the Year."
In the 2007–2008 season, Kramer continued his winning streak. He won the European Allround Championship and the World Allround Championship for the second time. He was awarded the Oscar Mathisen Award for his four world records in 2007. He was again named "Skater of the Year."
More Wins and Olympic Gold
Kramer kept dominating in the 2008–2009 season. He won national titles in 1500 m, 5000 m, and 10,000 m. He also won the European and World Allround Championships again. At the World Single Distance Championships, he won three gold medals. He was chosen as "Skater of the Year" for the third time.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Sven Kramer was expected to win many medals. He won the gold medal in the 5000 meters race with a new Olympic record. However, in the 10,000 meter event, he was disqualified for changing lanes incorrectly. This mistake was due to wrong directions from his coach.
Despite this, Kramer went on to win his fourth straight World Allround Championship. This was a historic achievement, as he became the first speed skater to win four world allround titles in a row. He was named "Skater of the Year" for the fourth time.
Return from Injury and Continued Success
Sven Kramer missed the 2010–2011 season due to a leg injury. He returned in the 2011–2012 season, winning his fifth European allround championship. He also won his fifth World Allround Championship, tying a record that had stood since 1914.
In the 2012–2013 season, Kramer set new records. He won his sixth European allround championship, tying another record. He also won his sixth World Allround Championship, setting a new record for most wins.
Sochi and Pyeongchang Olympics
At the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Kramer won gold in the 5000 m with a new Olympic record. He also won a silver medal in the 10,000 m and a gold medal in the team pursuit.
He continued to win European and World Allround titles in the following years.
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Kramer won his third straight gold medal in the 5000 meter event. He broke his own Olympic record from 2014. This made him the only male speed skater to win the same Olympic event three times. He also became the first man to win eight Olympic medals in speed skating.
Records
Personal Records
These are Sven Kramer's best times in different speed skating distances.
Personal records | ||||
Speed skating | ||||
Event | Result | Date | Location | Notes |
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500 meter | 36.17 | 27 December 2009 | Heerenveen | |
1000 meter | 1:09.77 | 28 February 2015 | Calgary | |
1500 meter | 1:43.54 | 11 December 2009 | Salt Lake City | |
3000 meter | 3:37.39 | 20 December 2019 | Heerenveen | |
5000 meter | 6:03.32 | 17 November 2007 | Calgary | |
10000 meter | 12:38.89 | 11 February 2017 | Gangneung | |
Team pursuit | 3:34.68 | 15 February 2020 | Salt Lake City | Current world record (with Douwe de Vries and Marcel Bosker) |
World Records
Sven Kramer has set several world records during his career. A world record is the fastest time ever recorded in a specific event.
Event | Result | Date | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
5000 meter | 6:08.78 | 19 November 2005 | Salt Lake City | |
10000 meter | 12:51.61 | 19 March 2006 | Calgary | |
10000 meter | 12:49.88 | 11 February 2007 | Heerenveen | |
5000 meter | 6:07.48 | 3 March 2007 | Calgary | |
10000 meter | 12:41.69 | 10 March 2007 | Salt Lake City | |
Team pursuit | 3:37.80 | 11 March 2007 | Salt Lake City | Together with Carl Verheijen and Erben Wennemars |
5000 meter | 6:03.32 | 17 November 2007 | Calgary | |
Team pursuit | 3:37.17 | 9 November 2013 | Calgary | Together with Koen Verweij and Jan Blokhuijsen |
Team pursuit | 3:35.60 | 16 November 2013 | Salt Lake City | Together with Koen Verweij and Jan Blokhuijsen |
Team pursuit | 3:34.68 | 15 February 2020 | Salt Lake City | Together with Douwe de Vries and Marcel Bosker |
Olympic Records
These are the fastest times recorded at the Olympic Games. Sven Kramer holds two Olympic records.
Event | Result | Date | Location |
---|---|---|---|
5000 meter | 6:09.76 | 11 February 2018 | Gangneung, Pyeongchang |
Team pursuit | 3:37.71 | 22 February 2014 | Sochi |
Medals Won
Sven Kramer has won many medals throughout his career at different championships.
Championship | Gold![]() |
Silver![]() |
Bronze![]() |
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Olympic Games | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Dutch Single Distances | 20 | 6 | 6 |
Dutch Allround | 16 | 6 | 3 |
European Allround | 33 | 8 | 2 |
European Single Distances | 2 | 1 | 0 |
World Allround | 29 | 4 | 8 |
World Single Distances | 21 | 3 | 2 |
World Cup | 73 | 13 | 6 |
World Junior | 5 | 2 | 0 |
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Sven Kramer para niños