Kurt Stille
Encyclopedia
Kurt Robert Stille is a former Danish
speed skater
, who competed at top international levels from 1957 to 1964.
He was born in Copenhagen
, but lives in Norway
.
He participated in both the 1960 Winter Olympics
and 1964 Winter Olympics
. Stille was the only Danish participant in the 1960 Olympics. His 9th place in the 1964 10,000-m was his best result; this is also the best ever result by any Dane in an individual event in the Winter Olympics history.
At the end of his career, Stille held the Danish speedskating records at all distances. These were 43.3 for 500 m (Karuizawa, 1963), 2:13.9 for 1,500 m (Bislett
, 1964), 4:39.0 for 3,000 m (Bislett, 1964), 7:56.1 for 5,000 m (Innsbruck, 1964), and 16:28.5 for 10,000 m (Bislett, 1964). These records lasted a record 41 years, until Oliver Sundberg
skated 42.65 (500 m) and 2:06.51 (1500 m) in Groningen on 19 March 2005. Sundberg also broke Stille's other records. Also Danish lady speedskater Cathrine Grage
has over the time period 2005–2007 beaten all of Stille's national records.
Although he's still alive, the choir "Sangkoret Lærken" at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences
host "Kurt Stilles Mindeløp", a memorial race in his name, every year. Kurt Stille attends each year as a judge.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
speed skater
Long track speed skating
Speed skating is an Olympic sport where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as short track speedskating, inline speedskating, and quad speed skating are also called speed skating...
, who competed at top international levels from 1957 to 1964.
He was born in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, but lives in Norway
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...
.
He participated in both the 1960 Winter Olympics
1960 Winter Olympics
The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event held between February 18 and 28, 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States. In 1955 at the 50th IOC meeting, the organizing committee made the surprise choice to award Squaw Valley as...
and 1964 Winter Olympics
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
. Stille was the only Danish participant in the 1960 Olympics. His 9th place in the 1964 10,000-m was his best result; this is also the best ever result by any Dane in an individual event in the Winter Olympics history.
At the end of his career, Stille held the Danish speedskating records at all distances. These were 43.3 for 500 m (Karuizawa, 1963), 2:13.9 for 1,500 m (Bislett
Bislett stadion
Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here...
, 1964), 4:39.0 for 3,000 m (Bislett, 1964), 7:56.1 for 5,000 m (Innsbruck, 1964), and 16:28.5 for 10,000 m (Bislett, 1964). These records lasted a record 41 years, until Oliver Sundberg
Oliver Sundberg
Oliver Sundberg is a Danish speedskater. Along with Cathrine Grage, Sundberg is the first Danish speedskater to reach international competition levels since Kurt Stille ended his career in 1964....
skated 42.65 (500 m) and 2:06.51 (1500 m) in Groningen on 19 March 2005. Sundberg also broke Stille's other records. Also Danish lady speedskater Cathrine Grage
Cathrine Grage
Cathrine Grage is a Danish Olympic speedskater. Grage and fellow skater Oliver Sundberg are the first Danish speedskaters to reach international competition levels since Kurt Stille ended his career in 1964....
has over the time period 2005–2007 beaten all of Stille's national records.
Although he's still alive, the choir "Sangkoret Lærken" at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
The Norwegian University of Life Sciences is a public university located in Ås, Norway.It is located at Ås in Akershus, near Oslo, and has around 3800 students...
host "Kurt Stilles Mindeløp", a memorial race in his name, every year. Kurt Stille attends each year as a judge.