Ivar Ballangrud

Ivar Eugen Ballangrud (née Eriksen, 7 March 1904 – 1 June 1969) was a Norwegian speed skater, a four-time Olympic champion in speed skating. As the only triple gold medalist at the 1936 Winter Olympics, Ballangrud was the most successful athlete there.

Ivar Ballangrud
Ballangrud at his skating store in 1949
Personal information
Born(1904-03-07)7 March 1904
Lunner, Norway
Died1 June 1969(1969-06-01) (aged 65)
Trondheim, Norway
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Sport
CountryNorway
SportSpeed skating
ClubOslo SK
Drammens SK
Retired1939
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)500 m – 42.7 (1939)
1500 m – 2:14.0 (1939)
5000 m – 8:17.2 (1936)
10,000 m – 17:14.4 (1938)[1]
Medal record
Representing  Norway
Olympic Games
1928 St. Moritz5000 m
1936 Garmisch-P.500 m
1936 Garmisch-P.5000 m
1936 Garmisch-P.10,000 m
1932 Lake Placid10,000 m
1936 Garmisch-P.1500 m
1928 St. Moritz1500 m
World Allround Championships
1926 TrondheimAllround
1932 Lake PlacidAllround
1936 DavosAllround
1938 DavosAllround
1928 DavosAllround
1929 OsloAllround
1930 OsloAllround
1935 OsloAllround
1931 HelsinkiAllround
1933 TrondheimAllround
1934 HelsinkiAllround
European Championships
1929 DavosAllround
1930 TrondheimAllround
1933 ViipuriAllround
1936 OsloAllround
1927 StockholmAllround
1938 OsloAllround

Biography

Ivar Ballangrud was one of the best speed skaters in the world for a period of 15 years, from 1924 to 1939. Coming from the small place Lunner on Hadeland, he was a member of the famous "Hadeland Trio", consisting of himself, Michael Staksrud and Hans Engnestangen. He represented the club Trondhjems Skøiteklub.[2]

Ballangrud was four times World Allround Champion, four times European Allround Champion,[3] five times Norwegian Allround Champion,[4] and four times Olympic Champion.[1] He won three Olympic titles at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen: 500 m (quite surprisingly), 5000 m, and 10,000 m. On the 1500 m during those Winter Olympics, he won silver – his teammate Charles Mathiesen being the only one to keep him from winning gold in all four speed skating events. Ballangrud had won his first Olympic gold 8 years earlier on the 5000 m at the 1928 Winter Olympics. In addition, he won a bronze medal (1500 m) in 1928 and a silver medal (10,000 m) at the 1932 Winter Olympics. He would have been the favourite for winning more Olympic gold in 1932 if the races had been held in the normal European way, not the American pack-style way where all competitors are on the ice at the same time.

He made his international debut as a 19-year-old rising star in 1924, although it was too late to compete in the Winter Olympics that year. However, he was paired with Julius Skutnabb – who had just become the Olympic 10,000 m Champion – in his first World Championships in Helsinki in 1924, and beat the champion on his homeground. In 1930, he dethroned Oscar Mathisen from the top of the Adelskalender and he would remain the number one on the Adelskalender for seven years.

In addition to his five official world records, Ballangrud skated 16:46.4 in a 10,000 m pack-style test race before the Olympic Games in 1932. This time was 31 seconds below the then-current world record and it would stand unbeaten as the fastest 10,000 m time for twenty years, until Hjalmar Andersen set his famous world record of 16:32.6.

In December 1932 it was announced that he became professional.[5]

Ballangrud was born as Ivar Eriksen. His mother changed his last name when she remarried following her husband's death. In retirement Ballangrud worked at his sporting good store in Drammen, and later in Trondheim. A statue in his honor was raised in his native Jevnaker.[1]

Records

World records

Over the course of his career, Ballangrud skated five world records:

DistanceTimeDateLocation
5000 m8:24.219 January 1929Davos
5000 m8:21.611 January 1930Davos
3000 m4:49.629 January 1935Davos
5000 m8:17.218 January 1936Oslo
10000 m17:14.46 February 1938Davos

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com[3]

Personal records

To put these personal records in perspective, the Notes column lists the official world records on the dates that Ballangrud skated his personal records.

Personal records
Men's speed skating
Event Result Date Location Notes
500 m 42.7 31 January 1939 St. Moritz 41.8
1000 m 1:29.3 24 February 1937 Oslo 1:28.4
1500 m 2:14.0 29 January 1939 Davos 2:14.9
3000 m 4:49.6 29 January 1935 Davos 4:59.1
5000 m 8:17.2 18 January 1936 Oslo 8:18.9
10000 m 17:14.4 6 February 1938 Davos 17:17.4

Source: EvertStenlund.se[6]

Note that Ballangrud's personal record on the 1500 m was not a world record because Hans Engnestangen skated 2:13.8 at the same tournament.

Ballangrud has an Adelskalender score of 188.806 points. He was number one on the Adelskalender for a total of 3,675 days, divided over two periods between 1930 and 1942.[7][8]

Medals

An overview of medals won by Ballangrud at important championships he participated in, listing the years in which he won each:

Championships Gold medalSilver medalBronze medal
Winter Olympics1928 (5000 m)
1936 (500 m)
1936 (5000 m)
1936 (10000 m)		1932 (10000 m)
1936 (1500 m)		1928 (1500 m)
World Allround1926
1932
1936
1938		1928
1929
1930
1935		1931
1933
1934
European Allround1929
1930
1933
1936		–1927
1938
Norwegian Allround1926
1929
1930
1936
1939		1932
1935		–

Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com[3] & Skoyteforbundet.no[4]

References
  1. "Ivar Ballangrud". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  2. Bryhn, Rolf (2007). "Trondhjems Skøiteklub". In Henriksen, Petter (ed.). Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
  3. "Ivar Ballangrud". SpeedSkatingStats.com. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  4. "National Championships results Norges Skøyteforbund (Norwegian Skating Association)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 February 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  5. "Medicine Hat News Newspaper Archives, Dec 23, 1932, p. 4". newspaperarchive.com. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  6. "Ivar Ballangrud, 7 March 1904". evertstenlund.se. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  7. "Evolution of Adelskalendern 1 July 1929 – 1 July 1939". evertstenlund.se. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  8. "Evolution of Adelskalendern 1 July 1939 – 1 July 1949". evertstenlund.se. Retrieved 6 March 2012.

Further reading
  • Eng, Trond. All Time International Championships, Complete Results: 1889–2002. Askim, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2002.
  • Eng, Trond; Gjerde, Arild and Teigen, Magne. Norsk Skøytestatistikk Gjennom Tidene, Menn/Kvinner, 1999 (6. utgave). Askim/Skedsmokorset/Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1999.
  • Eng, Trond; Gjerde, Arild; Teigen, Magne and Teigen, Thorleiv. Norsk Skøytestatistikk Gjennom Tidene, Menn/Kvinner, 2004 (7. utgave). Askim/Skedsmokorset/Veggli/Hokksund, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2004.
  • Eng, Trond and Teigen, Magne. Komplette Resultater fra offisielle Norske Mesterskap på skøyter, 1894–2005. Askim/Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2005.
  • Teigen, Magne. Komplette Resultater Norske Mesterskap På Skøyter, 1887–1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior. Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989.
  • Teigen, Magne. Komplette Resultater Internasjonale Mesterskap 1889–1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior, allround/sprint. Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989.
  • Ivar Ballangrud. Deutsche Eisschnelllauf Gemeinschaft e.V. (German Skating Association).
  • Historical World Records. International Skating Union.
Records
Preceded by
Himself with Clas Thunberg		 Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
2 February 1964 – 5 February 1964
With: Clas Thunberg
Sixten Jernberg		 Succeeded by
Sixten Jernberg
Preceded by
Clas Thunberg		 Athlete with the most medals at Winter Olympics
14 February 1936 – 2 February 1964
With: Clas Thunberg		 Succeeded by
Himself with Clas Thunberg and Sixten Jernberg
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