Hans Engnestangen

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Hans Engnestangen
Personal information
Born28 March 1908
Brandbu, Norway
Died9 May 2003 (aged 95)
Jevnaker, Norway
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Sport
SportSpeed skating
Event500–10000 m
ClubHamar IL
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)500 m – 41.8 (1938)
1500 m – 2:13.8 (1939)
5000 m – 8:31.3 (1934)
10000 m – 18:06.9 (1933)[1][2]
Medal record
Representing  Norway
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1933 Trondheim Allround
Bronze medal – third place 1935 Oslo Allround
European Championships
Silver medal – second place 1937 Davos Allround

Hans Engnestangen (28 March 1908 – 9 May 2003) was a Norwegian speed skater and world champion. He held the world records over 500 and 1500 meters for more than 13 years.

International championships[edit]

At the 1932 Winter Olympics he participated in the 10000 metres event but was eliminated in the heats. Four years later he finished eights in the 1500 metres competition. He also participated in the 500 metres event but did not finish.[1]

Engnestangen won a gold medal at the 1933 World Allround Championships, and a bronze medal in 1935.[3] He won the 500 m event in 1933, 1938 and 1939, and the 1500 m in 1937 and 1938. He received a silver medal at the 1937 European Allround Championships, where he also won the 500 m race.[1]

World records[edit]

In January 1933 Engnestangen broke the Clas Thunberg's world record over 500 m, with 42.5, a record which lasted until 1936. Engnestangen improved the time in January 1937 (42.3), and again in February 1938 (41.8). The last record was unbeaten for 14 years, until 1952.[4]

In January 1939 Engnestangen set a world record over 1500 m at 2:13.8. This record was unbeaten for 13 years.[4]

Discipline Time Date Location
500 m 42.5 21 January 1933 Davos
500 m 42.3 30 January 1937 Davos
500 m 41.8 5 February 1938 Davos
1500 m 2:13.8 29 January 1939 Davos

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com[5]

World War II[edit]

Along with fellow speed skater Finn Hodt, Engnestangen had been one of the few leading Norwegian athletes not to follow a nationwide boycott of sports events (the "sports strike") during the occupation. In particular, in 1942 he skated in a Norway-Germany meet in Klagenfurt in Austria. The boycott had been launched by the Norwegian sports leadership in response to attempts from 1940 onwards by the collaborationist Quisling regime at nazification of all sports events in Norway.[6] After the war Engnestangen was sentenced to two years for collaborating with the Nazi Germany,[1] though contrary to other involved sportsmen he had no personal connection to Nazis.[2]

References[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hans Engnestangen.
  1. ^ a b c d Hans Engnestangen. sports-reference.com
  2. ^ a b Kjeldstadli, Ole Peder (13 November 2008) Hans Engnestangen vant både VM og vinter-spartakiaden Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. n-s-f.no
  3. ^ Medal Winners in World Allround Championships Archived 25 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine – International Skating Union (Retrieved on 9 April 2008)
  4. ^ a b Historical World Records Archived 5 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine – International Skating Union (Retrieved on 9 April 2008)
  5. ^ "Hans Engnestangen". SpeedSkatingStats.com. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  6. ^ Fretland, Frode (1997). Sogn og Fjordane fotballkrets 75 år: 1922–1997 (in Norwegian). Førde: Sogn og Fjordane fotballkrets. p. 71.

External links[edit]

Records
Preceded by Men's 500 m World Record Holder
21 January 1933 – 18 January 1936 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 500 m World Record Holder
30 January 1937 – 6 January 1952 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Men's 1500 m World Record Holder
29 January 1939 – 20 January 1952 		Succeeded by
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