Bart Veldkamp, born in s'Gravenhage, was Olympic 10000 m Champion 1992, beating Johann Olav Koss, by 2,4 seconds. He was European Champion 1990 and he placed 3rd in 1991. He also placed 3rd in the World Championships 1990 and 1991. 10 years later he very surprisingly placed 2nd in the European Ch., only 1,14 10000 m seconds from the title, and 3rd in the World Championship.

After several years on the Dutch national team he had problems qualifying for the championships teams, so he moved to Belgium, got a Belgian passport and started competing for Belgium from 1996, with his own private sponsor and former rival Johann Olav Koss as one of his advisors.

During the Olympic Games in Nagano 1998 he was the first to break the 6.30 barrier on 5000 m, but he was later beaten by former compatriots Rintje Ritsma and Gianni Romme, and he had to settle with a bronze medal, the first Olympic speed skating medal for Belgium.

World Cup winner 5000 / 10000 m 1990, 1993 and 1999 and 13 single competition victories in the period 1989-1999. He started his career as a marathon skater, and in 1988 he became the first (unofficial) World Marathon Skating Champion in Ottawa, Canada.

Highest rank on the Adelskalender: 5 (1998)

By Bjarte Hetland, last updated November 28, 2005