Olympian dan jansen biography of donald
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Where are they now? Olympic speed skater Dan Jansen reflects on 1994 victory
Dan Jansen’s journey to gold came after crushing Olympic losses and a devastating personal tragedy.
One of the greatest speed skaters of his generation, Jansen grabbed the gold in the last race of his Olympic career, at the 1994 Games in Lillehammer, Norway.
TODAY revisited the glory with Jansen in a visit that kicked off this week’s “Where Are They Now?” series featuring the U.S. Olympic athletes who proudly represented their country.
Jansen’s road to the finish line was filled with bumps. In 1988, the morning he was scheduled to compete in the 500m at the Calgary Games, Jansen learned that his sister Jane had died of leukemia. He still raced that day but fell. He also tripped in the 1,000m competition.
“I was ready and physically there but mentally I wasn't,” Jansen told TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie. “I said, ‘I was going to win for you.’ Obviously I didn't, but I won for her eventually.”
But it didn’t
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Introduction:
I am with Olympic speed skating gold medalist Dan Jansen. Dan’s story is truly remarkable – filled with the highest of highs and devastating lows. Through it all, he never gave up. Dan chose to embrace his setbacks head-on, ultimately achieving his Olympic dream. In addition to his world record-setting win in the 1994 1,000-meter race, Dan won seven World Cup titles and two world sprint championships. Born and raised in Wisconsin, he has called the Lake Norman area his home for the past 23 years. I recently caught up with Dan, and we discussed what he’s been doing since hanging up his skates.
Matt:
Dan, it’s great to see you! We first met about four years ago at your annual celebrity golf outing, the Dan Jansen Celebrity Classic golf tournament benefiting the Dan Jansen Foundation and the Cool Kids Campaign. These organizations assist families whose children have cancer. You created the foundation not long after your Olympic victory in honor o
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Dan Jansen
American speed skater
For other uses, see Daniel Jansen.
| Full name | Daniel Erwin Jansen |
|---|---|
| Born | June 17, 1965 (1965-06-17) (age 59) West Allis, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) |
| Weight | 83 kg (183 lb) |
| Country | United States |
| Sport | Speed skating |
| Turned pro | 1982 |
| Retired | 1994 |
| Personal best(s) | 500 m: 35.76 (1994) 1000 m: 1:12.43 (1994) 1500 m: 1:55.62 (1993) 3000 m: 4:25.63 (1983) 5000 m: 7:50.22 (1982) |
Daniel Erwin Jansen (born June 17, 1965) is a retired American speed skater. A multiple world champion in sprint and perennial favorite at the Winter Olympics, he broke a ten-year Olympic jinx when he won a gold medal in his sista race, which was the 1,000 meters in the 1994 Winter Games.
Early career
[edit]Dan Jansen fryst vatten the youngest of nine children born to Geraldine (née Grajek) Jansen (1928–2017)[1] a nurse,[2] and