Jan Bols
Encyclopedia
Jan Bols is a former Dutch
long track
speed skater.
Bols was among the top all-rounders in the late 60s and early 70s, this period overlapped the glory days of Kees Verkerk
and Ard Schenk
, so that he tends to be known as the third best Dutch skater of his time.
Bols participated in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, but, as an all-rounder rather than a distance specialist, he did not win medals. His best results were a 5th place on the 1,500m and a 4th place on the 10,000 m in 1972 in Sapporo
. He also came in 4th at both the European and World all-round championships in 1970.
In 1971 he actually won the Dutch championships ahead of Verkerk and Schenk. He was in excellent shape at the European Championships in Heerenveen that year and finished second at both the 500m and 5000m the first day and was first in the standing. During the 5000m a failure to change lanes resulted in him skating two outer lanes in a row (i.e. he skated about 25 m longer) and a disqualification. The next day, his fans waved a commercial Bols
flag half-staff
in the stadium.
Bols did (bronze) medal in both the 1972 European
and World all-round championships
. The next year, he joined most top skaters in a short-lived professional league, finishing 3rd and 2nd in their championships in 1973 and 1974.
After his career he owned a sporting goods shop in his hometown of Hoogeveen.
† Ard Schenk skated 7:09.8 the same day, so Bols' 7:10.7 did not become a world record.
Bols has an Adelskalender score of 168.513 points. He reached second place on this ranking list from Feb 7, 1970 to Jan 16, 1971 and would retain third place until March 1975.
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...
long track
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...
speed skater.
Bols was among the top all-rounders in the late 60s and early 70s, this period overlapped the glory days of Kees Verkerk
Kees Verkerk
Cornelis Arie Verkerk , better known as Kees Verkerk, is a former speed skater from the Netherlands.-Short biography:...
and 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...
, so that he tends to be known as the third best Dutch skater of his time.
Bols participated in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, but, as an all-rounder rather than a distance specialist, he did not win medals. His best results were a 5th place on the 1,500m and a 4th place on the 10,000 m in 1972 in Sapporo
Speed skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics
Speed skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics was a series of skating events whose results are below. They happened at the Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan.-500 m:February 5, 1972 — 38 competitors from 16 countries-1,500 m:...
. He also came in 4th at both the European and World all-round championships in 1970.
In 1971 he actually won the Dutch championships ahead of Verkerk and Schenk. He was in excellent shape at the European Championships in Heerenveen that year and finished second at both the 500m and 5000m the first day and was first in the standing. During the 5000m a failure to change lanes resulted in him skating two outer lanes in a row (i.e. he skated about 25 m longer) and a disqualification. The next day, his fans waved a commercial Bols
Bols (brand)
Bols is a brand name used by Lucas Bols, a Dutch distiller of alcoholic beverages. The brand line currently consists of vodkas, gins, genevers and liqueurs. Bols has been extant since 1575, and is the oldest distillery brand in the world. The brand is now distributed in 110 countries, and the...
flag half-staff
Half-staff
Half-staff is the American term for to describe a flag flying a flag below the summit of the flagpole . The rest of the English-speaking world uses the term half-mast. Technically the flag should be flown one breadth lower to allow for the invisible flag of death...
in the stadium.
Bols did (bronze) medal in both the 1972 European
European Speed Skating Championships for Men
The International Skating Union has organised the European Speed Skating Championships for Men since 1893. Unofficial Championships were held in the years 1891-1892.-History:-Distances used:...
and World all-round championships
World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men
The International Skating Union has organised the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men since 1893. Unofficial Championships were held in the years 1889-1892.-History:-Distances used:...
. The next year, he joined most top skaters in a short-lived professional league, finishing 3rd and 2nd in their championships in 1973 and 1974.
After his career he owned a sporting goods shop in his hometown of Hoogeveen.
Medals
| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Allround World Allround Speed Skating Championships The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world... |
– | – | 1972 |
| European Allround European Speed Skating Championships The European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The... |
– | – | 1972 |
| Dutch Allround KNSB Dutch Allround Championships The national Dutch Allround speedskating championships are first held in 1901 for man and since 1955 for women-Men's Allround:Source: -Women's Allround:Source: -References:NotesBibliography... |
1971 | 1969 1970 1972 |
1968 |
World records
| 3,000 m | 4:16.4 | 27 January 1970 | Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene... |
| Big combination Samalog Samalog is a scoring system in speed skating. It is used in allround tournaments to convert results at various distances into points in order to determine an overall champion... |
171.512 | 8 March 1970 | Inzell Eisstadion Inzell Eisstadion Inzell is a stadium located in Inzell, Germany, best known as a speed skating venue. It is an outdoor, artificial ice, rink, located 690 metres above sea level and has a capacity of 20,000 people... |
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Bols skated his personal records.| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 39.4 | 15 January 1972 | Davos Eisstadion Davos Vaillant Arena is an arena in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Davos. It holds 7,080 people, of which 3,280 are seated... |
38.0 |
| 1,000 m | 1:20.4 | 19 January 1971 | Davos | 1:19.2 |
| 1,500 m | 2:01.6 | 23 January 1972 | Davos | 1:58.7 |
| 3,000 m | 4:13.5 | 2 March 1972 | Inzell Eisstadion Inzell Eisstadion Inzell is a stadium located in Inzell, Germany, best known as a speed skating venue. It is an outdoor, artificial ice, rink, located 690 metres above sea level and has a capacity of 20,000 people... |
4:12.6 |
| 5,000 m | 7:10.7 | 4 March 1972 | Inzell | 7:12.0 † |
| 10,000 m | 15:10.2 | 5 March 1972 | Inzell | 14:55.9 |
| Samalog Samalog Samalog is a scoring system in speed skating. It is used in allround tournaments to convert results at various distances into points in order to determine an overall champion... |
170.380 | 5 March 1972 | Inzell | 168.248 |
† Ard Schenk skated 7:09.8 the same day, so Bols' 7:10.7 did not become a world record.
Bols has an Adelskalender score of 168.513 points. He reached second place on this ranking list from Feb 7, 1970 to Jan 16, 1971 and would retain third place until March 1975.