Kees Verkerk

Kees Verkerk and Ard Schenk formed the top speed skating duo in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Verkerk won all available titles, taking the European allround gold in 1967, the World Championships in 1966 and 1967 and won Olympic gold in the 1500 m in Grenoble, having won a surprise silver in the same distance four years earlier. In 1966 and 1967, he won the Oscar Mathisen Trophy for the best speed skating performance of the season, and Verkerk broke four World Records between 1967 and 1970. A four-time Dutch champion, Verkerk closed out his amateur career with a silver medal in the Olympic 10k of Sapporo. He then joined Schenk in a professional league, but the adventure ended in 1974 without much success for Verkerk. After a brief period as coach of the Swedish team, Verkerk focused on managing his own camp site in Norway, where he had lived since 1972.

Personal Bests: 500 – 39.9 (1971); 1000 – 1:21.4 (1971); 1500 – 1:58.9 (1971); 5000 – 7:13.2 (1969); 10000 – 15:03.6 (1969).