Jansen Saves His Best for Last
A gold
medal and a world record in 1994
by Mike Morrison
Though Tonya and Nancy dominated the headlines
at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, the
persistence and heart of American speed skater
Dan Jansen showed us all the true spirit of the Olympics.
Six
years earlier, at the 1988 Games in Calgary, Jansen,
the world sprint champion, was the heavy favorite to take home the gold in
both the 500- and 1,000-meter events.
But on the very day he was
to compete in the 500, his sister, Jane Beres, died from leukemia. While her
death was not unexpected, it was obviously a crushing blow to the psyche of
23-year-old Jansen.
With the world pulling for him, Jansen took to
the ice just hours after his sister's death. But less than ten seconds into
the race, he fell rounding a turn, slid off the track, and was eliminated.
The nightmare continued three days later at the 1,000-meter event, as Jansen
fell again and failed to finish.
Four years later at the
1992 Games in Albertville, Jansen sought redemption. While no longer the
overwhelming favorite as he had been in 1988, he was still the defending World
Cup champion in the 500 meters, and the predicted Olympic champ.
But once again, it was not meant to be. Jansen skated well, but one minor
stumble was enough to keep him off the medal podium. He finished in fourth
place, 0.32 seconds behind gold-medallist Uwe-Jens Mey of Germany. Days later,
a beleaguered Jansen finished the 1,000 meters in 26th place.
He entered
the 1994 Games in Norway figuring it would be his
last chance for Olympic gold. He came into the Games as the World Cup champion
and new record-holder in the 500 meters, but his critics still bemoaned his
Olympic failures.
Three hundred meters into the 500-meter event,
it happened again. Jansen lost his balance coming around a turn and dragged
his hand on the ice. In a sport where hundredths of seconds mean so much,
the mistake was enough to push him back to eighth.
He would have just
one more shot. The 1,000 meters was his final race, and it was a distance
that—by his own admission—wasn't his forte.
But Jansen
went out like gangbusters and by the 800-meter mark was on a world-record
pace. When he staggered yet again, the whole world gasped. But this time,
he was able to right himself. Jansen crossed the finish line in 1:12.43, good
for not only his first gold medal, but also an
unexpected world record.
He took a victory lap in front of 10,000
screaming Norwegians and scores of clapping Olympians. And in his arms he
carried his baby daughter, Jane, named for his older sister.
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