Dan Jansen
.JPG) |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Daniel Erwin Jansen | ||||||||||||
| Nationality | American | ||||||||||||
| Born |
June 17, 1965 (age 51) West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) | ||||||||||||
| Website | Dan Jansen official website | ||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||
| Country | United States | ||||||||||||
| Sport | Speed skating | ||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1982 | ||||||||||||
| Retired | 1994 | ||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 500 m: 35.76 (1994) 1000 m: 1:12.43 (1994) 1500 m: 1:55.62 (1993) 3000 m: 4:25.63 (1983) 5000 m: 7:50.22 (1982) |
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Medal record
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Daniel Erwin "Dan" Jansen (born June 17, 1965) is a retired American speed skater. A multiple world champion in sprint and perennial favorite at the Winter Olympics, he won a gold medal in his final race (1,000 meters) in the 1994 Winter Olympics at the end of his career.
Dan Jansen is the youngest of nine children born to Geraldine (née Grajek) Jansen (b. 1928), a nurse, and Harry Jansen (1928–2015), who retired from the police department as a lieutenant detective. His family is Roman Catholic. His three remaining sisters are all nurses. Two of his four brothers are policemen and one is a firefighter. He graduated from West Allis Central High School. Inspired by his sister Jane (1960–1988), he took up speed skating while growing up. He set a junior world record in the 500-meter race at age 16, and finished 16th in the 1,000 meters and fourth in the 500 meters at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
In 1988, Jansen became the World Sprint Champion, then he was off to the 1988 Winter Olympics where he was a favorite for the 500- and 1,000-meter races. In the early hours of February 14, the day of the 500-meter event, Jansen was informed that his 27-year-old sister, Mrs. Jane Marie Beres, was dying of leukemia. Jansen spoke to her on the phone but was unable to receive a response. A few hours later, Jansen was notified of his sister's death.
Jansen went on to compete in the 500-meter race that afternoon but fell in the first turn. Four days later in the 1,000-meter event, he began with record-breaking speed but fell again, just past the 800-meter mark. He left the 1988 Olympics with no medals but became the recipient of the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award for his valiant efforts. In the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, he finished fourth in the 500 meters and 26th in the 1,000 meters, and left the games with no medals. In 1993, Jansen set a world record in the 500-meter event and was cast as a favorite to win the gold medal in the event at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer.
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