Jansen, Daniel
Speed Skating
b. 1969, West Allis, WI
In his last race at the 1994 Winter Olympics, Jansen may have had more people rooting for him to win than any other athlete in history. He had entered the 1988 Winter Games as the favorite in both the 500- and 1,000 speed skating events. His older sister, Jane, died of leukemia seven hours before he raced in the 500-meter.
Even though her death had been expected, Jansen was obviously shaken. Just ten seconds into the race, he fell rounding a turn and was out of the competition. Three nights later, he fell again while on a winning pace in the 1,000-meter race.
"I'll be back," he told reporters. But, at the 1992 Olympics, Jansen missed a bronze medal in the 500-meter by 0.16 second and skated poorly in the 1,000-meter, finishing 26th.
He might have retired from competition then, but the next chance for a medal was just two years away because the International Olympic Committee had decided the Winter and Summer Olympics should no longer take place in the same year. Jansen kept skating and set a world record of 35.76 seconds in the 500-meter. Entering the 1994 Games in Norway, he was only skater ever to break the 36-second mark.
Heavily favored in the short sprint, Jansen slipped again. He didn't fall, but the slip cost him time and he finished in 36.68 seconds, placing eighth. That left him only the 1,000-meter, not his best event. Millions of Americans, well acquainted with his story, watched on television; the Norwegian spectators and even some of his competitors were hoping Jansen would win at least some kind of medal.
Skating at a world record pace, Jansen slipped slightly with 200 meters to go, but he managed to gather himself with little loss of momentum and finished in the world record time of 1:12.43. In the locker room, every skater cheered at the announcement. The lights in the arena were turned out and a spotlight followed Jansen as he skated a victory lap, carrying his infant daughter, Jane, while the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Norwegian skater Adne Sondral, said afterward, "If anyone deserves a gold medal, it must be him. . . . The world and the sport would be unfair if he hadn't won."