Erben Wennemars

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Erben Wennemars
Erben Wennemars during the World Championships 2007

Country	Netherlands
Date of birth	November 1, 1975 (1975-11-01) (age 32)
Place of birth	Dalfsen, Netherlands
Turned pro	1995
Website	www.erbenwennemars.nl

Medal record
Men's speed skating
Olympic Games
Bronze	2006 Turin	Team pursuit
Bronze	2006 Turin	1000 m
World Single Distance Championships
Gold	2003 Berlin	1000 m
Gold	2003 Berlin	1500 m
Gold	2004 Seoul	1000 m
Gold	2005 Inzell	Team pursuit
Gold	2007 Salt Lake City	Team pursuit
Gold	2008 Nagano	Team pursuit
Silver	1999 Heerenveen	500 m
Silver	2007 Salt Lake City	1500 m
Bronze	2001 Salt Lake City	1500 m
Bronze	2003 Berlin	500 m
Bronze	2004 Seoul	1500 m
World Allround Championships
Gold	2007 Heerenveen	500 m
Gold	2007 Heerenveen	1500 m

Egbert Rolf ("Erben") Wennemars (born November 1, 1975 in Dalfsen) is a Dutch speed skater. He specializes in the sprint and middle distances of 500, 1000 and 1500 meters.

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 wasn't 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.

[edit] Personal records

Distance	Time	Date	Venue
500m	34,68	January 22, 2005	Salt Lake City
1000m	1.07,33	January 12, 2003	Salt Lake City
1500m	1.42,32	November 9, 2007	Salt Lake City
3000m	3.41,84	August 13, 2005	Calgary
5000m	6.28,42	August 13, 2005	Calgary
10000m	13.35,67	February 11, 2007	Heerenveen

[edit] Medals

Championship
Dutch Single Distance Championships	10	11	9
Dutch Sprint Championships	3	1	3
Dutch Allround Championships	0	0	1
Winter Olympics	0	0	2
World Single Distance Championships	5	2	3
World Allround Championships	0	0	0
World Sprint Championships	2	0	2