Jeen van den Berg

Although he competed in many international long track races, speed skater Jeen van den Berg’s greatest victory was his win in the 1954 Elfstedentocht. This 200 km race along 11 cities in the Dutch province of Friesland is held only when weather allows, and the winners are well-known in the Dutch skating scene. Van den Berg even won the final sprint twice - the leaders sprinted towards a sign marked “Finish”, with “at 500 metres” in small letters. Van den Berg won that first sprint, and again after the skaters were informed by the crowd that the finish was still ahead. In all, he competed in seven Elfstedentocht races, placing 3rd in the 1963 edition, which was held in notoriously cold and windy conditions. On the track, Van den Berg’s best performance was a second place at the 1956 Dutch Allround Championships, and he competed in three European and four World Championships. A primary school teacher, he continued to skate in marathon races well into his 50s, and won many veteran’s races.

Personal Bests\: 500 – 44.8 (1959); 1500 – 2:16.5 (1960); 5000 – 8:11.7 (1974); 10000 – 17:04.4 (1960).