Gerard Kemkers in Thialf in 2007 |
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 8 March 1967 Groningen, Netherlands |
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| Country | Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1990 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Gerard Kemkers (born 8 March 1967, in Groningen) is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. There he won the bronze medal in the men's 5000 metres.
Kemkers retired from international competition in 1990, due to a problem with his leg. He later became a speed skating coach, who guided skaters like Carl Verheijen, Jochem Uytdehaage, Ireen Wüst and Sven Kramer to international successes with the professional TVM-squad.
During the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin (Italy) he coached Ireen Wüst to two medals: 3000m gold, 1500m bronze and Sven Kramer to a silver medal on the 5000m.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver he successfully coached Sven Kramer to the gold medal at the 5000m and Ireen Wüst to the gold medal on the 1500m. During the 10 km race of Sven Kramer, he made a mistake and guided Kramer to the wrong lane. Sven Kramer was disqualified for failing to change lanes. As a result, Lee Seung-Hoon won gold with a new Olympic record, 12:58.55. Kramer later said, "At the end of the day, it is my responsibility. I am the skater on the ice, I have to do it".[1]