Sten Stensen

Sten Einar Stensen (born 18 December 1947) is a former speed skater. Together with Amund Sjøbrend, Kay Stenshjemmet, and Jan Egil Storholt, he was one of the legendary four S-es ("four aces" in Norwegian), contemporary Norwegian top skaters in the 1970s and early 1980s. Stensen excelled at the longer distances, especially the 5,000 m and 10,000 m, and set two world records. He was World Allround Champion in 1974 and European Allround Champion in 1975. He also won Olympic gold on the 5,000 m in Innsbruck in 1976. For his accomplishments, he received the Oscar Mathisen Award in 1974 and 1976.

Sten Stensen

Sten Stensen in 1973
Personal information
Birth name	Sten Einar Stensen
Nationality	Norwegian
Born	(1947-12-18) 18 December 1947 Drammen, Norway
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	74 kg (163 lb)
Sport
Country	Norway
Sport	Speed skating
Club	Drammens SK
Turned pro	1969
Retired	1978
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	500 m: 39.03 (1977) 1000 m: 1:23.4 (1973) 1500 m: 1:58.72 (1976) 3000 m: 4:13.6 (1977) 5000 m: 7:05.04 (1977) 10 000 m: 14:38.08 (1976)
Medal record Representing  Norway Olympic Games 1976 Innsbruck 5,000 m 1976 Innsbruck 10,000 m 1972 Sapporo 5,000 m 1972 Sapporo 10,000 m

During the 1976 European Allround Championships in Oslo, Stensen (the defending European Champion), set a new world record on the 10,000 m, but he still lost his title to fellow Norwegian Kay Stenshjemmet by a tiny margin of only 0.005 points (equivalent to 0.10 seconds on the 10,000 m).[1]

Stensen won gold on the 5,000 m at the 1976 Winter Olympics the next month, a race in which Piet Kleine won silver and the world record holder on that distance, Hans van Helden, won bronze. Still being the world record holder on the 10,000 m, Stensen was the favourite for that distance three days later, but he was beaten by Kleine in a close race. Again, Van Helden finished third.[1]

After ending his speed skating career in 1978, Stensen became a Norwegian broadcasting commentator at speed skating events.