Speed skating now and 100 years ago
Although the speed skaters these days are much faster than the skaters in the past this does not mean that the present skaters are better than the skaters of the past. In order to make a comparison one has to take into account many factors that have been changed through time: the training facilities, the outdoor or indoor ice, the changes in the skating tracks, the increased knowledge about the skating movement, the clothing and the skates, the social and financial position of the skaters, the facilities delivered by the national and international skating organizations.
Gerard Sierksma and Huub Snoep have done an interesting study to determine the best skaters taking into account the differences in circumstances.They measured how much better or worse each skater was than the average of the 5 best skaters over four years in his time. For the men the10 best skaters were: 1.Eric Heiden, 2, Ard Schenk, 3.Johan Olav Koss 4. Oscar Mathisen, 5. Ganni Romme 6. Jaap Eden 7. Hjalmar Andersen. 8. Clas Thunberg 9 Ivar Ballingrud 10. Rintje Ritsma. Surprisingly in this ordering are the older skaters Oscar Mathisen, Jaap Eden en Clas Thunberg. It seems that they were clearly much better than the other skaters in their time therefore they are so high in this ordering. I suppose that now probably Sven Kramer would also appear in this list but in 2008 when this study was published that was not yet the case. A foto of the best four are presented below.
Gerard Sierksma and Huub Snoep have done an interesting study to determine the best skaters taking into account the differences in circumstances.They measured how much better or worse each skater was than the average of the 5 best skaters over four years in his time. For the men the10 best skaters were: 1.Eric Heiden, 2, Ard Schenk, 3.Johan Olav Koss 4. Oscar Mathisen, 5. Ganni Romme 6. Jaap Eden 7. Hjalmar Andersen. 8. Clas Thunberg 9 Ivar Ballingrud 10. Rintje Ritsma. Surprisingly in this ordering are the older skaters Oscar Mathisen, Jaap Eden en Clas Thunberg. It seems that they were clearly much better than the other skaters in their time therefore they are so high in this ordering. I suppose that now probably Sven Kramer would also appear in this list but in 2008 when this study was published that was not yet the case. A foto of the best four are presented below.
The best female skaters are according to the study of Gerard Sierksma and Huub Snoep;1. Gunda Nieman,2. Karin Enke. 3. Lidija Skablikova 4. Andrea Ehrig 5 Claudia Pechstein 6.Anni Friesinger 7. Inga Artamonova 8. Natalja Petrusjeva 9 Valerina stenina 10 Cindy Klassen. The fotos of the best four are presented below.
Comment
It is a pitty that the study has not been updated. These rankings were published in 2008 as a consquence Sven Kramer, Irene Wüst and also Martina Sábliková are not included in the list while they certainly belong there.
I will pay attention to some of these top skaters in different contributed stories and stories in my histories overview.
It is a pitty that the study has not been updated. These rankings were published in 2008 as a consquence Sven Kramer, Irene Wüst and also Martina Sábliková are not included in the list while they certainly belong there.
I will pay attention to some of these top skaters in different contributed stories and stories in my histories overview.