| Sport: | Speed Skating |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | April 23, 1986 |
| Birthplace: | Oudeschoot, Netherlands |
| Hometown: | Oudeschoot, Netherlands |
| Residence: | Heerenveen, Netherlands |
| Ht: / Wt: | 6'1" / 176 lbs |
| Olympics: | 2006 |
| Teammates: | Mark Tuitert, Simon Kuipers, Jan Blokhuisen |
The most dominant distance skater in the world since Torino... Took silver in the 5000m at the 2006 Games... Has won three-straight world allround titles, as well as three-straight world single distance titles in the 5000m, 10,000m and team pursuit... Is a huge celebrity in the skating-obsessed Netherlands, but tries to avoid distractions and maintain his focus on training for Vancouver... Draws attention in Canada for his striking resemblance to ice hockey superstar Sidney Crosby... Gold medal favorite in the 5000m and 10,000m.
| Date | Event | Rank | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Feb 20 - 4:15p | 1500m | 13 | 1:47.40 | |
| Sat, Feb 13 - 12:00p | 5000m |  | 1 | 6:14.60 |
| Tue, Feb 23 - 11:00a | 10,000m | |||
| Fri, Feb 26 - 2:07p | Team Pursuit -- Semifinals | 2 | 3:43.11 | |
| Fri, Feb 26 - 12:30p | Team Pursuit -- Quarterfinals | 1 | 3:44.25 | |
| Sat, Feb 27 - 12:51p | Team Pursuit -- Finals |  | 3 | 3:39.95 |
As the pilot for the USA-1 bobsled, I broke a 62-year gold medal drought when my sled, the 'Night Train" won the Olympic title at the 2010 Vancouver Games. A degenerative eye condition nearly caused me to quit my sport in 2008, but corrective surgery restored my vision to 20-20.
