Michael Staksrud
Michael Staksrud (2 June 1908 – 10 November 1940) was a Norwegian World Champion in speed skating.
Life and sports career
Born in Gran, in the district of Hadeland, Staksrud started his speed skating career at Hamar Idrettslag (Hamar Sports Club). From 1937 onward, he represented Oslo Skøiteklub (Oslo Skating Club). Together with Ivar Ballangrud and Hans Engnestangen, he formed the famous Hadeland Trio, three Norwegians who dominated both Norwegian and international speed skating in the 1930s. Seven of the nine World Allround Championships between 1930 and 1938, and six of the nine European Allround Championships between 1929 and 1937 were won by a member of this Hadeland Trio, with Staksrud himself winning three World titles and two European titles.
Another illustration of the domination of the Hadeland Trio was the 1,500 m event at a tournament in Davos on 29 January 1939. Staksrud entered that tournament as the world record holder on that distance with a time of 2:14.9. He was paired with Ballangrud and skated 2:14.4, faster than his world record time, but Ballangrud had finished 0.4 seconds earlier in a time of 2:14.0. However, neither of them became the new world record holder, because Engnestangen skated 2:13.8 in his race.
Although Staksrud participated in several events at the Winter Olympic Games of 1928, 1932, and 1936, he never managed to win any Olympic medals. In 1940, Staksrud drowned under tragic circumstances, only 32 years old.
Medals
An overview of medals won by Staksrud at important championships he participated in, listing the years in which he won each:
| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | – | – | – |
| World Allround | 1930 1935 1937 |
1932 1933 |
1929 |
| European Allround | 1934 1937 |
1930 | – |
| Norwegian Allround | 1932 1934 |
1929 1930 |
1933 1936 |
World records
Over the course of his career, Staksrud skated two world records:
| Discipline | Time | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3000 m | 4.59,1 | February 25, 1933 |  Hamar
|
| 1500 m | 2.14,9 | January 31, 1937 |  Davos
|
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com[1]
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Staksrud skated his personal records.
| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 42.8 | 30 January 1937 | Davos | 42.4 |
| 1,000 m | 1:32.3 | 3 February 1929 | Hamar | 1:31.8 |
| 1,500 m | 2:14.4 | 29 January 1939 | Davos | 2:14.9 |
| 3,000 m | 4:55.2 | 30 January 1937 | Davos | 4:49.6 |
| 5,000 m | 8:19.9 | 4 February 1933 | Hamar | 8:19.2 |
| 10,000 m | 17:23.2 | 5 February 1928 | Davos | 17:22.6 |
Note that Staksrud's personal record on the 1,500 m was not a world record because Hans Engnestangen skated 2:13.8 at the same tournament.
Staksrud has an Adelskalender score of 189.750 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was a first place, which he held for a total of 728 days between 1937 and 1939.
References
- ^ "Michael Staksrud". SpeedSkatingStats.com. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- 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.