Johann Olav Koss, is one of the best speed skaters in history. In 1994, the final year of his career, he also gained fame outside the speed skating world by winning three gold medals at the Olympic Games in Norway, winning all races in new world records, two of which would remain unbeaten until the klap skate era.

Although a national junior champion in 1987, he could not compete with the international junior top during the 1986 and 1987 World Junior Championships. In 1988 he debuted with the seniors at the World Championships in Medeo, USSR by not qualifying with the final 16. The following year, he finish 8th in the same tournament (after a 15th in the Europeans) with a second place at the 1500 m. His breakthrough came the following year when he won the title in Innsbruck, Austria. The following four years, he would win two more World titles (1991 and 1994), finishing 2nd in 1993 and 3rd in 1992. He won the European Championship in 1991 and finished 3rd the following three years.

His Olympic debut was in 1992, when he finished only 7th at the 5000 m, five days after he suffered from an inflamed pancreas. He would recover to win gold in the 1500 m (by only 0.04 seconds over countryman Søndrål) and silver in the 10000 m.

Koss's other successes include 23 World Cup wins, 4 World Cup titles (1500 m in 1989/1990 and 1990/1991, 5000 m / 10000 m in 1990/1991 and 1993/1994), 4 Norwegian allround titles (1991 to 1994), 2 Oscar awards and a total of 10

world records.

By Jeroen Heijmans, last updated November 28, 2005