Speed Skating Career
Erben Wennemars was the first skater who skated the 1500 m faster than 1:50.00. His 1:49.89 in the summer of 1997 however, was not regarded as an official world record.
During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano where Wennemars was qualified for the 500, 1000 and 1500 m, he dislocated his shoulder when Grunde Njøs from Norway fell and collided with Wennemars during the second 500 m race. Wennemars was not able to participate in the other distances after that.
Wennemars achieved his first big success in 2003 during the World Single Distance Championships in Berlin by winning the gold medal at the 1000 m and 1500 m. One year later he became world champion sprint in Nagano. In 2005 he defended his world sprint title successfully in Salt Lake City.
Wennemars qualified for the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and the team pursuit events at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. His teammates for the team pursuit were Sven Kramer, Carl Verheijen, Mark Tuitert and Rintje Ritsma.
In 2003 Wennemars was chosen as athlete of the year in the Netherlands and in 2003, 2004 and 2005 as Dutch skater of the year. After failing to qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics he announced his farewell from competitive skating. On January 11, 2010, Erben Wennemars officially retired as a speed-skating professional.
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