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Kees Verkerk

Kees Verkerk
Kees Verkerk 1968.jpg
Kees Verkerk (1968)
Personal information
Birth name Cornelis Arie Verkerk
Nationality Dutch
Born (1942-10-28) 28 October 1942 (age 74)
Puttershoek, Netherlands
Height 1.71 m (5 ft 7 12 in)
Weight 71 kg (157 lb)
Sport
Country Netherlands
Sport Speed skating
Club Puttershoek
Turned pro 1964
Retired 1972
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s) 500 m: 39.9 (1971)
1000 m: 1:21.4 (1971)
1500 m: 1:58.9 (1971)
3000 m: 4:14.9 (1972)
5000 m: 7:13.2 (1969)
10 000 m: 15:03.6 (1969)

Cornelis Arie "Kees" Verkerk (born 28 October 1942) is a former speed skater from the Netherlands.

Kees Verkerk was World Allround Champion in 1966 and 1967, and European Allround Champion in 1967. He won an Olympic gold medal on the 1,500 m in 1968 and a silver medal on the 5,000 m. Four years earlier (in 1964), he had won Olympic silver on the 1,500 m. In 1972, he won Olympic silver on the 10,000 m. Nationally, he won four Allround titles in 1966, 1967, 1969 and 1972. As a result of his performances, he received the Oscar Mathisen Award in 1966 and 1967, the first skater to win this award twice, although until 1967, skaters were not eligible to win it more than once.

In 1973, together with Ard Schenk and a dozen other skaters, Verkerk joined in a newly formed professional league, but this lasted only two years. The end of this professional league also marked the end of Verkerk's career as a speed skater. Later, he was coach of the Swedish team. Verkerk met his Norwegian wife in 1972 and has lived in Norway since his speed skating career ended.

Over the course of his career, Verkerk skated eight world records:

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com

Verkerk has an Adelskalender score of 168.033 points. Except for two days in February 1968, he was number one on the Adelskalender from 28 February 1967 until 5 February 1971 – a total of 1,444 days. The Adelskalender is an all-time allround speed skating ranking.




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