Kees Verkerk
Cornelis Arie "Kees" Verkerk (born 28 October 1942) is a former speed skater from the Netherlands.[1]
![]() Verkerk in 1968  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Birth name | Cornelis Arie Verkerk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Dutch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 28 October 1942 Maasdam, Netherlands  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 71 kg (157 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Speed skating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Puttershoek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1964 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 500 m: 39.9 (1971) 1000 m: 1:21.4 (1971) 1500 m: 1:58.9 (1971) 3000 m: 4:14.9 (1972) 5000 m: 7:13.2 (1969) 10 000 m: 15:03.6 (1969)  | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record 
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Short biography
    
Kees Verkerk was World Allround Champion in 1966 and 1967, and European Allround Champion in 1967. He won an Olympic gold medal on the 1,500 m in 1968 and a silver medal on the 5,000 m. Four years earlier (in 1964), he had won Olympic silver on the 1,500 m. In 1972, he won Olympic silver on the 10,000 m.[1] Nationally, he won four Allround titles in 1966, 1967, 1969 and 1972. As a result of his performances, he received the Oscar Mathisen Award in 1966 and 1967, the first skater to win this award twice, although until 1967, skaters were not eligible to win it more than once.
In 1973, together with Ard Schenk and a dozen other skaters, Verkerk joined in a newly formed professional league, but this lasted only two years. The end of this professional league also marked the end of Verkerk's career as a speed skater. Later, he was coach of the Swedish team. Verkerk met his future Norwegian wife in 1972 and has lived in Norway since his speed skating career ended.[1]
World records
    
Over the course of his career, Verkerk skated eight world records:
| Discipline | Result | Date | Location | Note | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big combination | 178.058 | 12 February 1967 | Oslo | World record until 14 January 1968 | 
| 1500 m | 2:03.9 | 26 February 1967 | Inzell | World record until 5 February 1968 | 
| 5000 m | 7:26.6 | 26 February 1967 | Inzell | World record until 7 January 1968 | 
| Big combination | 172.058 | 10 March 1968 | Inzell | World record until 2 March 1969 | 
| 10000 m | 15:03.6 | 26 January 1969 | Inzell | World record until 14 February 1971 | 
| 1500 m | 2:02.0 | 9 February 1969 | Davos | World record until 8 March 1970 | 
| 5000 m | 7:13.2 | 1 March 1969 | Inzell | World record until 13 March 1971 | 
| 1500 m | 2:01.9 | 8 March 1970 | Inzell | World record until 16 January 1971 | 
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com[2]
Personal records
    

| Personal records | ||||
| Discipline | Result | Date | Location | Note | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500m | 39.9 | 15 January 1971 | Davos | |
| 1,000m | 1:21.4 | 19 January 1971 | Davos | |
| 1,500m | 1:58.9 | 16 January 1971 | Davos | |
| 3,000m | 4:14.9 | 2 March 1972 | Inzell | |
| 5,000m | 7:13.2 | 1 March 1969 | Inzell | |
| 10,000m | 15:03.6 | 26 January 1969 | Inzell | |
| Big combination | 171.520 | 23 January 1972 | Davos | |
Verkerk has an Adelskalender score of 168.033 points. Except for two days in February 1968, he was number one on the Adelskalender from 28 February 1967 until 5 February 1971 – a total of 1444 days.[3] The Adelskalender is an all-time allround speed skating ranking.[4][5]
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com[2]
Tournament overview
    
Season  | 
Dutch  Championships Allround  | 
European  Championships Allround  | 
Olympic  Games  | 
World  Championships Allround  | 
ISSL  European Championships Allround  | 
ISSL  World Championships Allround  | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1962–63  | GRONINGEN  12th 500m 4th 1500m 4th 10000m 4th overall  | |||||
1963–64  | OSLO  21st 500m 10th 5000m 15th 1500m 8th 10000m 12th overall  | INNSBRUCK  9th 5000m 16th 10000m  | HELSINKI  28th 500m 13th 5000m 20th 1500m 12th 10000m 11th overall  | |||
1964–65  | AMSTERDAM  8th 500m 4th 1500m  | GOTHENBURG  13th 500m 4th 5000m 8th 1500m 4th 10000m 8th overall  | OSLO  14th 500m 4th 5000m 19th 1500m 13th 10000m 10th overall  | |||
1965–66  | DEVENTER   | DEVENTER  4th 500m  | GOTHENBURG  20th 500m  | |||
1966–67  | AMSTERDAM   | LAHTI  4th 500m  | OSLO  9th 500m  | |||
1967–68  | AMSTERDAM  9th 500m 9th 5000m 7th 10000m 4th overall  | OSLO  11th 500m 7th 5000m 9th 1500m 7th 10000m 8th overall  | GRENOBLE  33rd 500m 5th 10000m  | GOTHENBURG  9th 500m 5th 1500m 6th 10000m 4th overall  | ||
1968–69  | HEERENVEEN   | INZELL  6th 500m 10th 5000m  | DEVENTER  22nd 500m 4th 10000m  | |||
1969–70  | INNSBRUCK  11th 500m 10th 1500m 4th 10000m 7th overall  | OSLO  10th 500m  | ||||
1970–71  | AMSTERDAM  4th 500m 8th 5000m 5th 10000m 4th overall  | HEERENVEEN  16th 500m 5th 5000m 4th 1500m  | GOTHENBURG  12th 500m 10th 1500m  | |||
1971–72  | DEVENTER  4th 5000m  | DAVOS  13th 500m 7th 1500m 4th overall  | SAPPORO  8th 1500m 6th 5000m  | OSLO  20th 500m 6th 5000m 9th 1500m 5th 10000m 6th overall  | ||
1972–73  | SKIEN  7th 500m 7th 1500m 5th overall  | GOTHENBURG  7th 500m 5th 1500m 5th 10000m 6th overall  | ||||
1973–74  | TYNSET  4th 5000m  | 
Medals won
    
| Championship | Gold  | Silver  | Bronze  | 
|---|---|---|---|
| European Allround Classification |  1   |  2   |  1  | 
| Olympic Games |  1   |  3   |  0  | 
| World Allround Classification |  2   |  0   |  3  | 
| International Speed Skating League |  0   |  0   |  1  | 
References
    

- Notes
 
- Kees Verkerk. sports-reference.com
 - "Kees Verkerk". SpeedSkatingStats.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
 - Days at the top of the Adelskalendern. evertstenlund.se
 - Evolution of the Adelskalender 1959–1969. evertstenlund.se
 - Evolution of the Adelskalender 1969–1979. evertstenlund.se
 - "Kees Verkerk". speedskatingstats.com. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
 - "Kees Verkerk". speedskatingnews.info. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
 - "Kees Verkerk". schaatsstatistieken.nl. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
 
- Bibliography
 
- Bal, Rien and Van Dijk, Rob. Schaatskampioenen, alles over het seizoen 68–69 (Speedskating Champions, all about the season 68–69) . Amsterdam, the Netherlands: N.V. Het Parool, 1969. (Dutch)
 - Bestebreurtje, Ger. Heya Keessie – Verkerk vertelt. Deventer, the Netherlands: Uitgeverij N.Kluwer N.V., 1969.
 - Eng, Trond. All Time International Championships, Complete Results: 1889 – 2002. Askim, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2002.
 - Froger, Fred R. Topsporters: Ard Schenk * Kees Verkerk (Elite Athletes: Ard Schenk * Kees Verkerk). Bussum, the Netherlands: Van Holkema & Warendorf, 1967. (Dutch)
 - ___________ Winnaars op de schaats (Victors on Skates), Een Parool Sportpocket. Amsterdam, the Netherlands: N.V. Het Parool, 1968. (Dutch)
 - Koomen, Theo. 10 Jaar Topschaatsen (10 Years Elite Speedskating). Laren (NH), the Netherlands: Uitgeverij Luitingh, 1971. ISBN 90-245-0114-8. (Dutch)
 - _________ Topschaatsen 1972 (Elite Speedskating 1972). Laren (NH), the Netherlands: Uitgeverij Luitingh, 1972. ISBN 90-245-0152-0. (Dutch)
 - _________ Topschaatsen 3 (Elite Speedskating 3). Laren (NH), the Netherlands: Uitgeverij Luitingh, 1973. ISBN 90-245-0194-6. (Dutch)
 - Maaskant, Piet. Flitsende Ijzers, De geschiedenis van de schaatssport (Flashing Blades, the History of Dutch Speedskating). Zwolle, the Netherlands: La Rivière & Voorhoeve, 1967 (Second revised and expanded edition). (Dutch)
 - _________ Heya, Heya! Het nieuwe boek van de Schaatssport (Heya, Heya! The New book of Dutch Speedskating). Zwolle, the Netherlands: La Rivière & Voorhoeve, 1970. (Dutch)
 - Peereboom, Klaas. Van Jaap Eden tot Ard Schenk (From Jaap Eden till Ard Schenk). Baarn, the Netherlands: De Boekerij, 1972. ISBN 90-225-0346-1. (Dutch)
 - Teigen, Magne. Komplette Resultater Internasjonale Mesterskap 1889 – 1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior, allround/sprint. Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989. (Norwegian)
 - Van Eyle, Wim. Een Eeuw Nederlandse Schaatssport (A Century of Dutch Speedskating). Utrecht, the Netherlands: Uitgeverij Het Spectrum, 1982. ISBN 90-274-9476-2. (Dutch)
 - Witkamp, Anton and Koning, Dolf (eds.). Schaatsgoud '72 (Speedskating Gold '72). Bussum, the Netherlands: Teleboek NV, 1972. ISBN 90-6122-204-4. (Dutch)
 
External links
    
- Kees Verkerk at SpeedSkatingStats.com
 - Short biography from Evert Stenlund's Adelskalender pages at the Wayback Machine (archived May 6, 2006)
 - Kees Verkerk at the International Olympic Committee
 
