1. Sven Kramer is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meters at the Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014 and Pyeongchang 2018 Olympics, and won a record 21 gold medals at the World Single Distance Championships; eight in the 5000 meters, five in the 10,000 meters, and eight in the team pursuit.
On 27 March 2020, it was announced that Sven Kramer extended his contract with the Jumbo-Visma speed skating team until the 2022 Winter Olympics.
On 28 October 2021 it was announced that Sven Kramer was going to retire in 2022.
Sven Kramer was born on 23 April 1986 in Heerenveen, Friesland, Netherlands.
Sven Kramer is the son of former speed skater Yep Kramer, and the four-year-older brother of speed skater Brecht Kramer.
Sven Kramer came third at the World Allround Championships 2005.
Sven Kramer set a new world record for the 5000 m in Salt Lake City on 19 November 2005, when he was 19 years old.
Sven Kramer stopped skating in the junior competition and became a senior speed skater when he was 20 years old.
The Dutch team was the favourite and was leading Italy by nearly a full second in their semi-final, but Sven Kramer stepped on a block and fell, taking Carl Verheijen with him.
Sven Kramer competed in two other distances, the 1500 and the 10,000 meter.
Sven Kramer won both the two longest distances of the tournament, but had to settle for bronze overall.
On 14 January 2007, Sven Kramer was crowned European Allround Champion in Collalbo, Italy.
On 11 February 2007, Sven Kramer became World Allround Champion for the first time.
At the World Championships of 2007 in Salt Lake City, Sven Kramer participated in the 5000,10,000 meters, and the team pursuit.
Sven Kramer won three out of three, the 10,000 m and the team pursuit in world records.
In Kolomna, Russia, Sven Kramer won the European Allround Championship for the second time.
Sven Kramer skated four distances: 1500,5000,10,000 meters, and the team pursuit.
Sven Kramer won three gold medals in the 5000 and 10,000 m distances and the team pursuit, just like the year before.
Sven Kramer became Skater of the year for the second time in a row.
At the national single distance championships in Heerenveen, Sven Kramer won the 1500,5000, and the 10,000 meters; by winning these three distances, he brought his national titles total up to 11.
Sven Kramer won gold at the national allround championships in Heerenveen and at the European allround championships in Heerenveen.
At the world single distance championships in Vancouver, Sven Kramer won gold in the 5000,10,000 meters, and the team pursuit.
Sven Kramer won gold at the world allround championships in Hamar.
At the national championships for single distances in Heerenveen, Sven Kramer won the 5000 and the 10,000 meters.
Sven Kramer failed to qualify for the World Cup for the 1500 meters.
Sven Kramer won gold at the European allround championships in Hamar in January 2010.
Sven Kramer became the allround European champion for the fourth year in a row.
Sven Kramer won the final 10,000 meter race from the Italian Enrico Fabris, who ended second in the overall rankings.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Sven Kramer was the favourite to win three gold medals, like his countryman Ard Schenk at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo.
At the 5000 meters race of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Sven Kramer grabbed the gold medal with a new Olympic record of 6:14.60, beating the previous time of Jochem Uytdehaage by 0.06 seconds.
Sven Kramer finished ahead of South Korean Lee Seung-hoon and Russian Ivan Skobrev, leaving four Olympic champions, Shani Davis, Enrico Fabris, Chad Hedrick and Bob de Jong, empty-handed.
Sven Kramer became Skater of the year for the fourth time in a row.
Sven Kramer did not participate in this season because of an injury to one of the nerves in his leg.
Sven Kramer completed the European allround championships in Budapest in first place, claiming his fifth European allround championship.
In preparation for the Winter Olympics, Sven Kramer chose not to compete in the European allround championships.
At the 2014 Winter Olympics, Sven Kramer won gold at the 5000 m with an Olympic record of 6:10.76.
At the 2015 European allround championships in Chelyabinsk, Sven Kramer won his 7th title.
At the 2016 European allround championships in Minsk, Sven Kramer won a record 8th title.
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sven Kramer won the gold medal in the 5000 meter event, breaking his own Olympic record from 2014 with a time of 6:09.76.
Sven Kramer became the first man to win eight Olympic medals in speed skating.
Sven Kramer is currently in 4rd position in the adelskalender.