Since 1959, the Oscar Mathisen Award (also known as the Oscar Mathisen Memorial Award, the Oscar Mathisen Memorial Trophy, and sometimes the Skating Oscar) is awarded annually for outstanding speed skating

Speed skating

Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...

 performance of the season. The award was introduced by Oslo

Oslo

Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...

 Skøiteklub (Oslo Skating Club, OSK) to commemorate the legendary Norwegian

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

 speed skater Oscar Mathisen

Oscar Mathisen

Oscar Wilhelm Mathisen was a Norwegian speed skater and celebrity, almost rivalling Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen as symbols for a young nation...

 (1888–1954).

Until 1967, speed skaters could not win the award more than once and until 1987, women were not eligible to win the award.

The winner is awarded a miniature of the statue

Statue

A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...

 of Oscar Mathisen created by the sculptor Arne Durban. The statue is placed outside Frogner

Frogner

Frogner is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. In addition to traditional Frogner, the borough incorporates Bygdøy, Uranienborg and Majorstuen....

 Stadium in Oslo, the venue of many of Oscar Mathisen's most memorable victories.

Oscar Mathisen Award winners

Year	Winner	Nationality
1959	Knut Johannesen Knut Johannesen Knut Johannesen is a former speed skater from Norway.-Biography:Born in Oslo and representing the skating club ASK there, Johannesen won the World Allround Championships in 1957 and 1964, the European Allround Championships in 1959 and 1960, and won the Norwegian...
1960	Boris Stenin Boris Stenin Boris Andrianovich Stenin was a Soviet speed skater, speed skating coach, and speed skating scientist.Living in Sverdlovsk, Stenin met and married fellow skater Valentina Stenina during the early days of his speed skating career...
1961	Henk van der Grift Henk van der Grift Hendrik van der Grift is a former speed skater.Henk van der Grift participated in the 1960 Winter Olympics. On the 500 m, he finished 10th and he fell on the 1,500 m. Not satisfied with training facilities in the Netherlands, he lived in Norway for a while, working as a car mechanic...
1962	Jonny Nilsson Jonny Nilsson Erling Martin Jonny Nilsson is a former speed skater from Sweden.-Biography:He was born in Göteborg. Sixty Five days before his 20th birthday, Jonny Nilsson made his international debut at the European Allround Championships in 1962, finishing 15th...
1963	Nils Aaness Nils Aaness Nils Egil Aaness is a former speed skater from Norway.Aaness competed on the Norwegian national team from 1959 to 1965, and thus became part of the Norwegian speedskating revolution under the trainer Stein Johnson...
1964	Ants Antson Ants Antson Ants Antson is a former Estonian speed skater who competed for the Soviet Union. He was born in Tallinn, Estonia.Ants Antson trained at the Kalev Voluntary Sports Society...
1965	Per Ivar Moe Per Ivar Moe Per Ivar Moe is a former speed skater from Norway.-Biography:In 1963, 18 year old Per Ivar Moe won bronze at the European Allround Championships, an achievement he would repeat the following year . In addition, in 1964, he became the first in 8 years to beat Knut Johannesen at the Norwegian...
1966	Kees Verkerk Kees Verkerk Cornelis Arie Verkerk , better known as Kees Verkerk, is a former speed skater from the Netherlands.-Short biography:...
1967	Kees Verkerk Kees Verkerk Cornelis Arie Verkerk , better known as Kees Verkerk, is a former speed skater from the Netherlands.-Short biography:...
1968	Fred Anton Maier Fred Anton Maier Fred Anton Maier is a former speed skater from Norway. He was among the dominating skaters throughout the 1960s, specalising in the longer distances....
1969	Dag Fornæss Dag Fornæss Dag Fornæss is a former speed skater from Norway who won the Norwegian, European, and World Allround Championships in 1969. He was born in Hamar.-Biography:...
1970	Ard Schenk Ard Schenk Adrianus "Ard" Schenk is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World...
1971	Ard Schenk Ard Schenk Adrianus "Ard" Schenk is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World...
1972	Ard Schenk Ard Schenk Adrianus "Ard" Schenk is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World...
1973	Göran Claeson Göran Claeson Göran Claeson is a former speed skater from Sweden.Claeson participated in the 1,500 m at the 1968 Winter Olympics of Grenoble, but finished only 20th. In 1969, at the first European Allround Championships in which Claeson participated, he won bronze. Three weeks later, at the first World...
1974	Sten Stensen Sten Stensen Sten Einar Stensen is a former speed skater.-Short biography:Together with Amund Sjøbrend, Kay Stenshjemmet, and Jan Egil Storholt, Sten Stensen was one of the legendary four S-es , contemporary Norwegian top skaters in the 1970s and early 1980s...
1975	Yevgeny Kulikov Yevgeny Kulikov Yevgeny Nikolayevich Kulikov is a former speed skater who specialised in the sprint.Yevgeny Kulikov trained at Burevestnik Voluntary Sports Society...
1976	Sten Stensen Sten Stensen Sten Einar Stensen is a former speed skater.-Short biography:Together with Amund Sjøbrend, Kay Stenshjemmet, and Jan Egil Storholt, Sten Stensen was one of the legendary four S-es , contemporary Norwegian top skaters in the 1970s and early 1980s...
1977	Eric Heiden Eric Heiden Eric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
1978	Eric Heiden Eric Heiden Eric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
1979	Eric Heiden Eric Heiden Eric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
1980	Eric Heiden Eric Heiden Eric Arthur Heiden, M.D. is an American former long track speed skater and road cyclist who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five individual gold medals, and set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York,...
1981	Amund Sjøbrend Amund Sjøbrend Amund Martin Sjøbrend is a former ice speed skater from Norway.Together with Sten Stensen, Kay Stenshjemmet, and Jan Egil Storholt, Amund Sjøbrend was one of the legendary four S-es , four Norwegian top skaters in the 1970s and early 1980s...
1982	Tomas Gustafson Tomas Gustafson Sven Tomas Gustafson is a retired speed skater, and one of the most successful distance skaters of the 1980s. He was born in Katrineholm, Sweden.-Early career:...
1983	Rolf Falk-Larssen Rolf Falk-Larssen Rolf Falk-Larssen is a former speed skater.Representing Trondhjems Skøiteklub, Rolf Falk-Larssen made his international debut at the European Allround Championships of 1982 and he was in the lead after three distances. On the final distance , he was paired against Tomas Gustafson, the number two...
1984	Gaétan Boucher Gaétan Boucher Gaétan Boucher, OC, CQ is a former Speed skating Olympic champion from Canada.A four-time Olympic medalist, Boucher was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's outstanding male athlete of 1984. He was named number 10 on the list of Canada's Athletes of the 20th Century...
1985	Hein Vergeer Hein Vergeer Henricus Coenradus Nicolaas Vergeer is a Dutch former speed skater who became both European and World Allround Champion in both 1985 and 1986 .Hein Vergeer was a dominant allround skater, but after having recovered from...
1986	Geir Karlstad Geir Karlstad Geir Karlstad is a former speed skater.-Short biography:Although best at the longest distances , Geir Karlstad became Junior World Allround Champion in 1982 and, as a senior, won bronze in both the World and European Allround Championships in 1989...
1987	Nikolay Gulyayev Nikolay Gulyayev Nikolay Alekseyevich Gulyayev is a former speed skater, considered among the world's best in the 1980s.-Biography:...
1988	Tomas Gustafson Tomas Gustafson Sven Tomas Gustafson is a retired speed skater, and one of the most successful distance skaters of the 1980s. He was born in Katrineholm, Sweden.-Early career:...
1989	Leo Visser Leo Visser Leendert Visser is s a former Dutch Speed skater, who in 1989 won the World Allround championship, the same year in which Visser also became European champion....
1990	Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss is a former speed skater from Norway, considered to be one of the best in history, and current assistant coach of Norway's speed skating team.-Biography:...
1991	Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss is a former speed skater from Norway, considered to be one of the best in history, and current assistant coach of Norway's speed skating team.-Biography:...
1992	Bonnie Blair Bonnie Blair Bonnie Kathleen Blair is a retired American speedskater. She is one of the top skaters of her time, and one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, and in her Olympic career won five gold medals and one bronze medal.-Career:Blair...
1993	Falko Zandstra Falko Zandstra Falko Zandstra is a former Dutch speed skater. Because of his thin legs he was also called de Gespierde Spijker which translates to the Muscular Nail.-Biography:...
1994	Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss Johann Olav Koss is a former speed skater from Norway, considered to be one of the best in history, and current assistant coach of Norway's speed skating team.-Biography:...
1995	Gunda Niemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann is a former German speed skater and the most successful speed skater of all time. Born as Gunda Kleemann, she changed her name to Gunda Niemann after her marriage in 1991 to judoka Detlev Niemann. After their divorce in 1995, she kept the name Niemann...
1996	Gunda Niemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann is a former German speed skater and the most successful speed skater of all time. Born as Gunda Kleemann, she changed her name to Gunda Niemann after her marriage in 1991 to judoka Detlev Niemann. After their divorce in 1995, she kept the name Niemann...
1997	Gunda Niemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann is a former German speed skater and the most successful speed skater of all time. Born as Gunda Kleemann, she changed her name to Gunda Niemann after her marriage in 1991 to judoka Detlev Niemann. After their divorce in 1995, she kept the name Niemann...
1998	Ådne Søndrål Ådne Søndrål Ådne Søndrål is a former Norwegian speed skater.Søndrål, representing Hol IL, was one of the best 1500 m skaters through most of the 1990s. He placed 2nd in the 1992 Winter Olympics and 4th in the 1994 Olympics. He finally won Olympic gold when he won 1500 m in the 1998 Winter Olympics...
1999	Rintje Ritsma Rintje Ritsma Robert Rintje Ritsma is a former Dutch long track speed skater. His nickname is the Beer van Lemmer, which translates to the Bear from Lemmer.-Speed skating career:He has won the World Allround Championships 4 times...
2000	Gianni Romme Gianni Romme Gianni Petrus Cornelis Romme is a Dutch marathon and a former long track speed skater. He is also a coach since the 2006-07 speed skating season....
2001	Hiroyasu Shimizu Hiroyasu Shimizu Hiroyasu Shimizu is a Japanese speed skater. He has an Olympic Gold medal from 1998 in the 500m and his win made him a hero in his home country. He currently holds the world record for the 100m speed skating event in 9.43 seconds...
2002	Jochem Uytdehaage Jochem Uytdehaage Jochem Simon Uytdehaage is a former Dutch long track speed skater and two-time Olympic champion. He retired in 2007 at the age of 30, following two consecutive seasons of poor results.-Biography:...
2003	Anni Friesinger Anni Friesinger Anna Christine Friesinger-Postma is a German speed skater. Her father Georg Friesinger, of Germany, and mother Janina Korowicka, of Poland, were both skaters; Jana was on the Polish team at the 1976 Winter Olympics. Anni's brother Jan is a speed skater, too...
2004	Chad Hedrick Chad Hedrick Chad Hedrick is an American inline speed skater and ice speed skater. He was born in Spring, Texas.Hedrick revolutionized the inline speed skating world with his unique technique, called the double push or DP...
2005	Shani Davis Shani Davis Shani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...
2006	Cindy Klassen Cindy Klassen Cindy Klassen, OM is a Canadian long track speed skater. Klassen is a six-time medalist at the Winter Olympics. She is tied with Clara Hughes for Canada's all-time most decorated Olympian with 6 medals each...
2007	Sven Kramer Sven Kramer Sven Kramer is a Dutch long track speed skater. He is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meter in Vancouver 2010, and four-time European and World Allround Champion. He is also three-time world champion and world record holder in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the team pursuit...
2008	Jeremy Wotherspoon Jeremy Wotherspoon Jeremy Lee Wotherspoon is a Canadian speed skater, widely recognized as one of the greatest speedskating sprinters of all time....
2009	Shani Davis Shani Davis Shani Davis is an Olympic Champion speed skater from the United States.At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Davis became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in an individual sport at the Olympic Winter Games . He also won the silver in the 1,500 m...
2010	Martina Sáblíková Martina Sáblíková Martina Sáblíková is a Czech speedskater, specializing in long distance races. She is an Olympic gold medal winner and a multiple World champion. She is the elder sister of fellow speedskater Milan Sáblík.-Career:As a junior, Sáblíková already achieved some notable results during international...
2011	Bob de Jong Bob de Jong Bob Johannes Carolus de Jong is a Dutch speed skater who specializes in long distances: five and ten kilometers.-Speed skating career:...