Jaap Eden
Encyclopedia
Jacobus Johannes "Jaap" Eden (October 19, 1873, Groningen – February 2, 1925) was a Dutch
athlete. He is the only male athlete to has won world championships in both speed skating
and bicycle racing
(women who have done so are Sheila Young
and Christa Rothenburger
).
In December 1890, in a short track competition over 160m, Jaap Eden had his first important victory. Eden, 17, was allowed by the Dutch Federation to compete in the world championships.
The championships were organised by the Skating Club of Amsterdam
, as there was no international governing body. Only two foreign skaters entered, American Joe Donoghue
becoming the first champion1. Eden skated in the two shortest of the four events, placing 3rd and 4th in the half mile and mile, respectively. Eden entered the European Championships in Hamburg
, but without any notable success.
Bad weather cancelled the 1892 world championships, while the European Championships that year were only attended by Austria
n skaters. Eden did compete in the Prince of Orange Cup in England, where he won his first international competition.
In summer 1892, skating officials from several European countries convened in Scheveningen. The International Skating Union
(ISU) was established, and the body's constitution announced annual world championships, over 500 m, 1500 m, 5000 m and 10000 m. The first ISU-governed world championships were to take place on the Museumplein
in Amsterdam
.
in that distance. This made Eden, who trained in Norway earlier that winter, a favourite for the world championships.
In the 1500 m, Eden tied with Oskar Frederiksen (Norway) in the preliminaries, but beat him in a head-to-head final race. He outclassed the field in the 5000m, winning by half a minute, while his main opponent Frederiksen did not finish. Eden was challenged again by Frederiksen in the first run of the 500m on the second day, but in the final Eden again beat the Norwegian. This meant Eden's third victory, sufficient for the world title. Frederiksen skated the first official world record in the 10000m. Eden, riding alone in the last race, fell after the first lap and abandoned the race.
After his victory, Eden was welcomed by a crowd in his home town Haarlem
. He became known throughout the country, and many products bearing his name were produced, such as cigar
s, chocolate
s and an alcoholic beverage.
The next winter, Eden trained in Hamar
, Norway and travelled to Stockholm
for the world championships in early February 1894. Because of bad weather, the championships were held in nearby Saltsjöbaden
. The 500m, saw Eden paired with Frederiksen. The Norwegian false-started, but was unaware of this until the finish. He was requested to re-skate immediately, but he wanted to recover. Eden, convinced Frederiksen would be disqualified, skated alone, finishing in 50.4seconds. Frederiksen matched it in his second attempt. Jaap Eden did not want to skate a tie-breaker and Frederiksen won after drawing lots.
Eden skated a world record in 10,000m. With 19:12.4, he was half a minute ahead of the others. In the third distance, he lost to Einar Halvorsen
, which meant no world champion. Eden failed to finish the final distance after a fall.
Two weeks later, the European championships took place in Hamar. Eden failed to compete on the first day, officially because of the strong wind. However, he was in his hotel with one of the chambermaids. Eden returned to the ice on the second day, and displayed won the 5,000m in 8:37.6 — a world record by almost half a minute. The record remained for nearly 17 years, until it was broken by Nikolay Strunnikov
2.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
athlete. He is the only male athlete to has won world championships in both 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...
and bicycle racing
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
(women who have done so are Sheila Young
Sheila Young
Sheila Grace Young-Ochowicz is a former speed skater and track cyclist from the United States.-Short biography:...
and Christa Rothenburger
Christa Rothenburger
Christa Luding-Rothenburger is a former speed skater and track cyclist. She was born in Weißwasser, East Germany.- Short biography :...
).
Early life
Jaap Eden was born in Groningen to Johannes Eden and Maria Baale. Eden's mother died of complications from his birth. His father, a gymnastics teacher, could not take care of the baby alone, and sent him to his grandparents, who owned a hotel near Santpoort. As a boy, Eden enjoyed running in dunes near his grandparents's home, gymnastics and, in the winter, skating. His speed and skating technique were noticed by the best Dutch skater at the time, Klaas Pander, and he invited the 15-year-old Eden to join him training.In December 1890, in a short track competition over 160m, Jaap Eden had his first important victory. Eden, 17, was allowed by the Dutch Federation to compete in the world championships.
The championships were organised by the Skating Club of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, as there was no international governing body. Only two foreign skaters entered, American Joe Donoghue
Joe Donoghue
Joseph F. Donoghue was a speed skater. He became the first speed skating World Champion in 1891. He was a member of the Manhattan Athletic Club.-References:...
becoming the first champion1. Eden skated in the two shortest of the four events, placing 3rd and 4th in the half mile and mile, respectively. Eden entered the European Championships in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, but without any notable success.
Bad weather cancelled the 1892 world championships, while the European Championships that year were only attended by Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n skaters. Eden did compete in the Prince of Orange Cup in England, where he won his first international competition.
In summer 1892, skating officials from several European countries convened in Scheveningen. The International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
(ISU) was established, and the body's constitution announced annual world championships, over 500 m, 1500 m, 5000 m and 10000 m. The first ISU-governed world championships were to take place on the Museumplein
Museumplein
The Museumplein is a square in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The square is called "Museum Square" because four museums are located around the square: the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum, and the Diamond Museum...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
.
Skating successes
Two days before the championships, Eden won Dutch championships over 1500m and 5000m. His time in the 1500 m, 2:35.0 is the first ISU-recognised world recordWorld record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
in that distance. This made Eden, who trained in Norway earlier that winter, a favourite for the world championships.
In the 1500 m, Eden tied with Oskar Frederiksen (Norway) in the preliminaries, but beat him in a head-to-head final race. He outclassed the field in the 5000m, winning by half a minute, while his main opponent Frederiksen did not finish. Eden was challenged again by Frederiksen in the first run of the 500m on the second day, but in the final Eden again beat the Norwegian. This meant Eden's third victory, sufficient for the world title. Frederiksen skated the first official world record in the 10000m. Eden, riding alone in the last race, fell after the first lap and abandoned the race.
After his victory, Eden was welcomed by a crowd in his home town Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
. He became known throughout the country, and many products bearing his name were produced, such as cigar
Cigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
s, chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
s and an alcoholic beverage.
The next winter, Eden trained in Hamar
Hamar
is a town and municipality in Hedmark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Hedmarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Hamar. The municipality of Hamar was separated from Vang as a town and municipality of its own in 1849...
, Norway and travelled to Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
for the world championships in early February 1894. Because of bad weather, the championships were held in nearby Saltsjöbaden
Saltsjöbaden
Saltsjöbaden is a locality situated in Nacka Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 8,937 inhabitants in 2005. It is located on the coast of the Baltic Sea.- History :...
. The 500m, saw Eden paired with Frederiksen. The Norwegian false-started, but was unaware of this until the finish. He was requested to re-skate immediately, but he wanted to recover. Eden, convinced Frederiksen would be disqualified, skated alone, finishing in 50.4seconds. Frederiksen matched it in his second attempt. Jaap Eden did not want to skate a tie-breaker and Frederiksen won after drawing lots.
Eden skated a world record in 10,000m. With 19:12.4, he was half a minute ahead of the others. In the third distance, he lost to Einar Halvorsen
Einar Halvorsen
Einar Halvorsen was a Norwegian speedskater.He set world record in 500 m three times, twice in 5000 m, and once in 1500 m.His time 2.29,6 in 1500 m in 1894 made him the first person to finish the distance in less than 2.30.-References:...
, which meant no world champion. Eden failed to finish the final distance after a fall.
Two weeks later, the European championships took place in Hamar. Eden failed to compete on the first day, officially because of the strong wind. However, he was in his hotel with one of the chambermaids. Eden returned to the ice on the second day, and displayed won the 5,000m in 8:37.6 — a world record by almost half a minute. The record remained for nearly 17 years, until it was broken by Nikolay Strunnikov
Nikolay Strunnikov
Nikolay Vasilyevich Strunnikov was a Russian World Champion in speed skating. In addition, he was also successful as a cyclist....
2.
External links
- Biografisch Woordenboek van Nederland – Biografie van Eden, Jacobus Johannes. Retrieved 8 October 2004.
- Speed Skating Results – Jaap Eden. Retrieved 8 October 2004.