Knut Johannesen Nor

449
Given name Knut
Surname Johannesen
Sex Male
Born 6 November 1933

Knut "Kuppern" Johannesen, born in Oslo, was the one who brought the speed skating focus back to Norway, after the Soviet skaters had dominated international speed skating during the mid-1950s. After Hjalmar Andersen retired, Norwegian speed skating did not have much international success, and the Olympic Games in 1956 was an all time low with only one silver (won by Johannesen) and one bronze medal. When Knut Johannesen won the World Championships in 1957, it was not only a great victory to Kuppern, but also a relief to Norwegian speed skating.

Two years later, "Kuppern" won the first international tournament to be held on an artificial icerink, the European Championships at Nya Ullevi in Gothenburg. He repeated this the following year, winning a very popular title on his home ground, Bislett.

When he won his first Olympic title, 10000 m in Squaw Valley 1960, he literally demolished the previous World Record, becoming the first skater to break the 16-minutes barrier with 15.46,6. His greatest opponent was the Russian skater Viktor Kosichkin, who had beaten him on the 5000 m.

After two bad years in 1961 and 1962 he was just about to quit speed skating. He was talked into continuing, and he was part of the Norwegian speed skating revolution in 1963. During January 1963 he won his seventh Norwegian Championships in a row, and he set 3 new World Records, becoming the first to skate a 5000 m below 7.40. Later this year he was the runner-up in both the European and the World Championships.

1964 was be his last and most successful year. In the Olympic 5000 m, he beat his teammate Per Ivar Moe by 0.2 seconds although the clock at first showed he was 0.1 slower. And when Ants Antson fell on the opening distance, nobody could beat him in the World Championships. Because of bad ice preparations he could not fight Jonny Nilsson for his third Olympic gold. He had to settle for a bronze medal, making it a total of 5 Olympic medals (2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze).

He was eight times Norwegian champion, which is a record. In 1959 he received the first Oscar Mathisen Trophy. He was flag bearer for the Norwegian Olympic team in 1964.

#1 on the Adelskalender: 27 February 1960 – 23 February 1963, 19 January 1964 – 25 January 1964, a total of 1100 days.

Last updated on 20 December 2005 by Bjarte Hetland.

International Championship Results

Result Distance Date Tournament Venue
12 Allround Men 7 February 1954 European Championships Men 1954 Davos
11 Allround Men 6 February 1955 European Championships Men 1955 Falun
5 Allround Men 20 February 1955 World Championships Men 1955 Moskva
8 5000 m Men 29 January 1956 Olympic Winter Games 1956 Misurina
9 1500 m Men 30 January 1956 Olympic Winter Games 1956 Misurina
Silver 2 10000 m Men 31 January 1956 Olympic Winter Games 1956 Misurina
7 Allround Men 12 February 1956 World Championships Men 1956 Oslo
Silver 2 Allround Men 26 February 1956 European Championships Men 1956 Helsinki
Silver 2 Allround Men 3 February 1957 European Championships Men 1957 Oslo
Gold 1 Allround Men 17 February 1957 World Championships Men 1957 Östersund
Bronze 3 Allround Men 1 February 1958 European Championships Men 1958 Eskilstuna
5 Allround Men 16 February 1958 World Championships Men 1958 Helsinki
Gold 1 Allround Men 1 February 1959 European Championships Men 1959 Göteborg
4 Allround Men 15 February 1959 World Championships Men 1959 Oslo
Gold 1 Allround Men 24 January 1960 European Championships Men 1960 Oslo
7 Allround Men 7 February 1960 World Championships Men 1960 Davos
20 500 m Men 24 February 1960 Olympic Winter Games 1960 Squaw Valley
Silver 2 5000 m Men 25 February 1960 Olympic Winter Games 1960 Squaw Valley
11 1500 m Men 26 February 1960 Olympic Winter Games 1960 Squaw Valley
Gold 1 10000 m Men 27 February 1960 Olympic Winter Games 1960 Squaw Valley
5 Allround Men 4 February 1961 European Championships Men 1961 Helsinki
11 Allround Men 19 February 1961 World Championships Men 1961 Göteborg
5 Allround Men 4 February 1962 European Championships Men 1962 Oslo
7 Allround Men 18 February 1962 World Championships Men 1962 Moskva
Silver 2 Allround Men 2 February 1963 European Championships Men 1963 Göteborg
Silver 2 Allround Men 24 February 1963 World Championships Men 1963 Karuizawa
4 Allround Men 18 January 1964 European Championships Men 1964 Oslo
Gold 1 5000 m Men 5 February 1964 Olympic Winter Games 1964 Innsbruck
Bronze 3 10000 m Men 7 February 1964 Olympic Winter Games 1964 Innsbruck
Gold 1 Allround Men 23 February 1964 World Championships Men 1964 Helsinki

National Championship Results

Result Distance Date Tournament Venue
Bronze 3 Allround Men 8 January 1961 Countrymatch Norway - Soviet Union Men 1961 Oslo
NS4 Allround Men 22 January 1961 Countrymatch Norway - Sweden Men 1961 Oslo
Gold 1 Allround Men 29 January 1961 Norwegian Allround Championships Men 1961 Sandefjord

World Records

Distance Time Rink Date
10000 m Men 15.46,6 Squaw Valley 27 February 1960
3000 m Men 4.33,9 Tønsberg 12 January 1963
Allround Men 183.035 Hamar 20 January 1963
5000 m Men 7.37,8 Oslo 26 January 1963