Lou Dijkstra

An allround athlete competing in cycling, sailing and football, Dijkstra excelled in speed skating. After placing second in the 1933 Dutch Championships, Dijkstra became a member of the Dutch national team, and appeared in three World Championships, placing 11th in 1935. After competing in the 1936 Winter Games, he abandoned international skating, but would appear in Dutch Championships as late as 1950. After his medicine studies, he settled in Amstelveen to work as a general practitioner. When his teen daughter, Sjoukje Dijkstra, appeared to be a talented figure skater, he made sure got a decent training in the sport, which was still undeveloped in the Netherlands. Sjoukje eventually won five European, three World and one Olympic title. Shortly after his dauther’s Olympic triumph in Innsbruck, Lou Dijkstra was killed in a car accident in his hometown.

Personal Bests: 500 – 45.8 (1936); 1500 – 2:24.8 (1935); 5000 – 8:47.2 (1936); 10000 – 18:12.2 (1933).