Photo: Ineke Vogel / CC BY 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Dan Jansen

ダン・ジャンセン　/　だん・じゃんせん

American speed skater

June 17, 1965 (age 60)　・　West Allis, Wisconsin, United States

From Wisconsin
Speed skater

My Take

Dan Jansen's story is the one I always come back to when I think about resilience in sport. The image of him skating the 500 in 1988 hours after his sister Jane died, then falling, is heartbreaking; he kept falling at the biggest moments for years. So when he finally took gold in the 1000 at Lillehammer in 1994, in world-record time, and skated his victory lap with his baby daughter Jane in his arms, it was one of the purest cathartic moments the Winter Olympics has ever produced. He's proof that how you handle failure can matter more than the wins.

Overview

Dan Jansen (born June 17, 1965) is a retired American long-track speed skater from West Allis, Wisconsin. After years of near-misses and personal tragedy at the Olympics, he finally won gold in the 1000 meters at the 1994 Lillehammer Games, setting a world record. He was awarded the James E. Sullivan Award in 1994 as the nation's top amateur athlete, and his perseverance made him one of the most beloved figures in Olympic history.

1. Profile

Name (English): Dan Jansen
Name (Japanese): ダン・ジャンセン
Reading: だん・じゃんせん
Born: June 17, 1965 (age 60)
Zodiac / Chinese zodiac: Gemini / Snake
Origin: West Allis, Wisconsin, United States
Blood type: Private
Height: 183cm
Agency: Private
Occupation: Speed skater

2. Background

Elementary school: Private
Junior high: Private
High school: Private
University: Private

Awards & achievements

1994 James E. Sullivan Award

3. Relationships

Spouse: Private
Children: Private
Parents: Private
Siblings: Private

4. Personality

Motto

Private

6. Links

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