Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1988-1211-006, Gunda Kleemann.jpg
Personal information
Birth nameGunda Kleemann
NationalityGerman
Born (1966-09-07) 7 September 1966 (age 55)
Sondershausen, Bezirk Erfurt, East Germany
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight65 kg (143 lb)
Spouse(s)Detlev Niemann (1991-1995) (divorced)
Oliver Stirnemann (1997-)
Sport
CountryEast Germany
Germany
SportSpeed skating
ClubSC Turbine Erfurt
Turned pro1987
Coached byStephan Gneupel
Retired2005

Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann (née Kleemann, born 7 September 1966) is a German former speed skater. She is a three-time Olympic gold medallist, winning the 3000 metres in 1992 and 1998 and the 5000 metres in 1992. She won a total of eight Olympic medals.

Personal life[]

The Gunda-Niemann-Stirnemann-Halle in Erfurt

Born as Gunda Kleemann in Sondershausen, Bezirk Erfurt, East Germany, she has lived in Erfurt for most of her life. She changed her name to Gunda Niemann after her marriage in 1991 to judoka Detlev Niemann. After their divorce in 1995, she kept the name Niemann. She then changed her name to Niemann-Stirnemann after marrying her long-time Swiss manager Oliver Stirnemann on 11 July 1997. The speed skating oval in Erfurt, the Gunda-Niemann-Stirnemann-Halle, was named after her. Before the German reunification in 1990, she skated for East Germany.

Career[]

Niemann-Stirnemann dominated women's speed skating for several years, especially on the longer distances. She has competed in four Olympics, from 1988 to 1998, and won eight Olympic medals (3 gold, 4 silver, and 1 bronze). In the nine years from 1991 to 1999, she won the World Allround Championships every year except 1994. She has a record number of 98 World Cup single distance victories and has won 19 overall World Cup titles. She was European Allround Champion 8 times. Over the course of her career, she set 18 world records. For her performances, she received the Oscar Mathisen Award three times: in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Niemann-Stirnemann left speed skating in 2001 to give birth to a daughter, but later returned to competition. She planned to make one last comeback and participate in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, but a lingering back injury – which she suffered from since the 2004–05 season – made her quit. At the end of October 2005, a few days before the German Championships, she announced her retirement.

Except for one day in March 1998, Niemann-Stirnemann was number one in the Adelskalender, the all-time allround speed skating ranking, from 24 January 1993, until 2 March 2001 – a total of 2,958 days. She skated in Olympic, World, World Cup, European and national championships to 215 medals, thereof 163 gold medals.

World records[]

Over the course of her career, Niemann-Stirnemann skated 18 world records:

Distance Result Date Location
3000 m 4:10.80 9 December 1990 Calgary
5000 m 7:13.29 6 December 1993 Hamar
Small combination 167.282 9 January 1994 Hamar
3000 m 4:09.32 25 March 1994 Calgary
5000 m 7:03.26 26 March 1994 Calgary
Small combination 165.708 16 February 1997 Nagano
3000 m 4:07.80 7 December 1997 Heerenveen
3000 m 4:05.08 14 March 1998 Heerenveen
Small combination 163.020 15 March 1998 Heerenveen
3000 m 4:01.67 27 March 1998 Calgary
5000 m 6:58.63 28 March 1998 Calgary
5000 m 6:57.24 7 February 1999 Hamar
Small combination 161.479 7 February 1999 Hamar
5000 m 6:56.84 16 January 2000 Hamar
3000 m 4:00.51 30 January 2000 Calgary
5000 m 6:55.34 25 November 2000 Heerenveen
3000 m 4:00.26 17 February 2001 Hamar
5000 m 6:52.44 10 March 2001 Salt Lake City

Note that the 10000 m was suspended as a world record event at the 1953 ISU Congress.

Personal records[]

To put these personal records in perspective, the last column (WR) lists the official world records on the dates that Niemann-Stirnemann skated her personal records.

Distance Result Date Location WR
500 m 40.34 6 February 1999 Hamar 37.55
1000 m 1:20.57 13 November 2000 Berlin 1:14.61
1500 m 1:55.62 4 March 2001 Calgary 1:55.50
3000 m 4:00.26 17 February 2001 Hamar 4:00.51
5000 m 6:52.44 10 March 2001 Salt Lake City 6:55.34
10000 m 14:22.60 27 March 1994 Calgary none
Small combination 161.479 7 February 1999 Hamar 163.020
Mini combination 169.385 6 February 1994 Baselga di Pinè 166.682
Sprint combination 165.255 17 January 1999 Collalbo 151.690

Niemann-Stirnemann has an Adelskalender score of 160.167 points. Her highest ranking on the Adelskalender was the first place.

Biography[]

  • Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann: Ich Will. Traumkarriere mit Tränen und Triumphen (2000). Das Neue Berlin.

External links[]

Awards
Preceded by
Norway Johann Olav Koss
Oscar Mathisen Award
1995–1997
Succeeded by
Norway Ådne Søndrål
Retrieved from ""