Tomas Gustafson
Encyclopedia
Sven Tomas Gustafson (born 28 December 1959) is a retired speed skater
, and one of the most successful distance skaters of the 1980s. He was born in Katrineholm
, Sweden
.
, France
, in 1979, he won the World Junior Championships title, which suggested that a glorious future could be ahead of him. One year later, at the European Championships of seniors, he finished 4th, a remarkable feat for a 20 year old. One month after that, he participated in the 1980 Winter Olympics
at Lake Placid, New York
, with a 7th place on the 1500 m as his best performance. In that same month, he defended his Junior World title with ease.
, where he set the 10000 m world record
. This has turned out to be the last outdoor World record for men on a lowland track so far. Because of this outstanding performance, he got awarded the Oscar Mathisen Award
, an award for the best skating performance in the past season. One year later, on the same Norwegian ice, he won silver at the World Allround Championships, finishing second behind Rolf Falk-Larssen
. Gustafson had the best allround point-sum (samalog
), but Falk-Larssen won by the rule that a skater winning three distances, and merely having finished the fourth, is automatically pronounced the champion. This caused a renewed debate about the three-distance-wins rule which was subsequently abolished; from 1984 onwards, the champion was to be the skater with the best allround point-sum. Thus, Gustafson would have been world champion in 1983 had the Lex Gustafson been in force then.
at Sarajevo
. He won Olympic gold on the 5,000 m, ahead of Soviet skater Igor Malkov
by a mere two hundredths of a second. In the 10000 m, he once more found himself again in a close finish with Malkov, this time losing the battle by five hundredths of a second. After these Olympics, Gustafson struggled through knee surgery, meningitis
, and the death of his father.
, winning all four distances, an achievement no one else has been able to reach in post-war speedskating. With his nemesis Malkov retired, Gustafson knew he had to focus on outpacing long-distance skaters like Dutchmen Leo Visser
and Gerard Kemkers
and Austrian skater Michael Hadschieff
. Gustafson managed to do so first in the 5000 m in a grand way. He trailed Leo Visser's pace by eight hundredths of a second with only 400 m to go. However, he skated an exceptional final lap to win by one third of a second. Four days later, he won Olympic Gold again, this time in the 10000 m, setting an impressive world record time of 13:48.20. This record lasted for three years, when it was broken by Johann Olav Koss
. As a result, Gustafson received the Oscar Mathisen Award again for his performances in 1988. He also earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal
as well.
, Gustafson remained a speedskater for four more years. His only notable achievement after Calgary was finishing second behind Bart Veldkamp
in the 1990 European Allround Championships.
At the 1992 Winter Olympics
at Albertville
, he only participated in the 5000 m, finishing 13th. This was Gustafson's last international race.
Except for the Allround World Championship, Tomas Gustafson achieved everything he ever aimed for in speedskating: three Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and setting the 10,000 m world record twice.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics
, his wife, Elisabet Gustafson
, won a bronze medal in curling.
Gustafson has an Adelskalender score of 157.701 points. In March 1988 he put himself on third place of the ranking, behind Eric Flaim
and Michael Hadschieff
. After improving his personal best time in the 1500 metres distance in December 1990, he reached the second place. Gustafson was ranked among the top 3 for 1468 days.
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 one of the most successful distance skaters of the 1980s. He was born in Katrineholm
Katrineholm
Katrineholm is a locality and the seat of Katrineholm Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 21,386 inhabitants in 2005.-Early history:The name Katrineholm comes from a ducal residence with this name, after Catherina Gyllenhorn who lived there...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Early career
At GrenobleGrenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in 1979, he won the World Junior Championships title, which suggested that a glorious future could be ahead of him. One year later, at the European Championships of seniors, he finished 4th, a remarkable feat for a 20 year old. One month after that, he participated in the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
at Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
, with a 7th place on the 1500 m as his best performance. In that same month, he defended his Junior World title with ease.
1982 to Sarajevo leadup
In 1982, he became allround European Champion in OsloOslo
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...
, where he set the 10000 m world record
World 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...
. This has turned out to be the last outdoor World record for men on a lowland track so far. Because of this outstanding performance, he got awarded the Oscar Mathisen Award
Oscar Mathisen Award
Since 1959, the Oscar Mathisen Award is awarded annually for outstanding speed skating performance of the season...
, an award for the best skating performance in the past season. One year later, on the same Norwegian ice, he won silver at the World Allround Championships, finishing second behind 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...
. Gustafson had the best allround point-sum (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...
), but Falk-Larssen won by the rule that a skater winning three distances, and merely having finished the fourth, is automatically pronounced the champion. This caused a renewed debate about the three-distance-wins rule which was subsequently abolished; from 1984 onwards, the champion was to be the skater with the best allround point-sum. Thus, Gustafson would have been world champion in 1983 had the Lex Gustafson been in force then.
Sarajevo to Calgary leadup
One year later, his focus was not on the allround championships, but on the 1984 Winter Olympics1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
at Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. He won Olympic gold on the 5,000 m, ahead of Soviet skater Igor Malkov
Igor Malkov
Igor Alekseyevich Malkov is a former speedskater.Igor Malkov trained at VSS Trud in Sverdlovsk...
by a mere two hundredths of a second. In the 10000 m, he once more found himself again in a close finish with Malkov, this time losing the battle by five hundredths of a second. After these Olympics, Gustafson struggled through knee surgery, meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
, and the death of his father.
Calgary glory
But in the Olympic year 1988, he had regained his form and strength. In January, he announced his Olympic ambitions by winning the European Allround Championships in The HagueThe Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
, winning all four distances, an achievement no one else has been able to reach in post-war speedskating. With his nemesis Malkov retired, Gustafson knew he had to focus on outpacing long-distance skaters like Dutchmen 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....
and Gerard Kemkers
Gerard Kemkers
Gerard Kemkers is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. There he won the bronze medal in the men's 5000 metres....
and Austrian skater Michael Hadschieff
Michael Hadschieff
Michael Florian Hadschieff is a former speed skater from Austria.-Biography:At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Michael Hadschieff participated in all five distances , winning medals in two of those...
. Gustafson managed to do so first in the 5000 m in a grand way. He trailed Leo Visser's pace by eight hundredths of a second with only 400 m to go. However, he skated an exceptional final lap to win by one third of a second. Four days later, he won Olympic Gold again, this time in the 10000 m, setting an impressive world record time of 13:48.20. This record lasted for three years, when it was broken by 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:...
. As a result, Gustafson received the Oscar Mathisen Award again for his performances in 1988. He also earned the Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal
Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal
The Svenska Dagbladet Gold Medal is an annual award "for the most significant Swedish sports achievement of the year". It has been awarded by a jury led by the Swedish morning paper Svenska Dagbladet since 1925. According to its statutes the Medal may be awarded in November or December to either...
as well.
Life after the Winter Olympics
After the 1988 Winter Olympics1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
, Gustafson remained a speedskater for four more years. His only notable achievement after Calgary was finishing second behind Bart Veldkamp
Bart Veldkamp
Bart Veldkamp is a retired speed skater, who represented both the Netherlands and Belgium in international competitions, including the Winter Olympics.-Short biography:...
in the 1990 European Allround Championships.
At the 1992 Winter Olympics
1992 Winter Olympics
The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 8 to 23 February 1992 in Albertville, France. They were the last Winter Olympics to be held the same year as the Summer Olympics, and the first where the Winter Paralympics...
at Albertville
Albertville
Albertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
, he only participated in the 5000 m, finishing 13th. This was Gustafson's last international race.
Except for the Allround World Championship, Tomas Gustafson achieved everything he ever aimed for in speedskating: three Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and setting the 10,000 m world record twice.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
, his wife, Elisabet Gustafson
Elisabet Gustafson
Elisabet Gustafson is a retired Swedish curler, world champion and Olympic medalist. She received a bronze medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano...
, won a bronze medal in curling.
World records
Over the course of his career, Gustafson skated two world records:| Distance | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10000 m | 14:23.59 | 31 January 1982 | Oslo 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... |
| 10000 m | 13:48.20 | 21 February 1988 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
Personal records
| Distance | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 38.10 | 19 January 1990 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
| 1000 m | 1:18.48 | 15 March 1981 | Savalen Savalen Savalen is a lake in Hedmark country, Norway, in the municipalities Tynset and Alvdal, about 18 square kilometres. The river Sivilla, which connects Savalen and Glomma, is regulated and exploited by the Savalen hydropower station . A tourist resort is located at the northern end of the lake, with... |
| 1500 m | 1:53.22 | 8 December 1990 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
| 3000 m | 4:03.17 | 26 December 1987 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
| 5000 m | 6:44.51 | 4 December 1987 | 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... |
| 10000 m | 13:48.20 | 21 February 1988 | Calgary Olympic Oval The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus... |
| 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... |
160.347 | 21 January 1990 | Heerenveen Thialf Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the... |
Gustafson has an Adelskalender score of 157.701 points. In March 1988 he put himself on third place of the ranking, behind Eric Flaim
Eric Flaim
Eric Joseph Flaim is a former US speed skater.-Biography:Eric Flaim began skating at the age of 5 on the tiny pond next to his home on Fairwood Drive, Pembroke...
and Michael Hadschieff
Michael Hadschieff
Michael Florian Hadschieff is a former speed skater from Austria.-Biography:At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Michael Hadschieff participated in all five distances , winning medals in two of those...
. After improving his personal best time in the 1500 metres distance in December 1990, he reached the second place. Gustafson was ranked among the top 3 for 1468 days.