Colin Coates

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Colin Victor Coates (born April 4, 1946 in Richmond, New South Wales) is a former ice speed skater from Australia, who represented his native country in – a record – six consecutive Winter Olympics, starting in 1968 in Grenoble, France.

Hailing from Melbourne, Victoria, Coates is the best speed skater in the history of Australia. He made history with his Olympic career, which spanned six consecutive Winter Olympics, the first speed skater ever to accomplish that feat.

He made his debut at the Olympic Games in Grenoble 1968. He returned in 1972 and made his breakthrough one year later with a 13th place in the World Championship. He qualified for the final 10.000 m in sevens World Championships in a row, with an 11th place in 1974 as his best result. Twice, he was 4th in the 10000 m, and he scored Australia's first ever speed skater to win an Olympic diploma with his 6th place in the same distance at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria.

Towards the end of his career, Coates took up coaching and produced a team of talented Australian skaters. The best were Michael Richmond and Danny Kah. In the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada, Coates was the coach of the Australian speed skating team.

He could not resist the opportunity of becoming the first speed skater to take part in six Olympic Games, and he entered himself for the 10.000 m, instead of his pupil Kah. Twenty years after his first Olympic appearance, the 41-year old Coates finished 26th, and he lowered his personal best by almost thirty seconds.