Stefan Groothuis

Stefan Groothuis (born 23 November 1981) is a Dutch retired speed skater. He is the World Sprint Champion for 2012 and the gold medal winner in the 1000 metres at the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Career Groothuis, a specialist in the middle distances (1000 and 1500 metres), had his international breakthrough in 2005. In that year he reached a second spot during the Speed Skating World Cup meeting in Salt Lake City competing in the 1000 metres. This earned him a nomination for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. During the Dutch Single Distance Championships in December 2005, he switched this nomination into a qualification by placing fourth behind Jan Bos, Erben Wennemars, and Beorn Nijenhuis, who all qualified as well.

In January 2006 Groothuis surprisingly became the Dutch national sprint champion, finishing first in two 500 metres and two 1000 metres races, outsprinting common names like Gerard van Velde, Nijenhuis, and Wennemars. A month later at the 2006 Winter Olympics, Groothuis would finish in eighth position in the 1000 metres. His time of 1:09.57 was 0.68 behind the winner Shani Davis.

In the 2010-2011 World Cup season, Groothuis would win the 1000 metre overall World Cup, dethroning perennial winner Shani Davis. He would also lead the 2011-2012 1000 metre standings going into the final race, but would be beaten out in the season finale by Davis and also just edged for the season 1000 title by Davis as a result.

At the 2012 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Calgary, Groothuis won the gold medal. His point total of 136.810 broke the world record for the sprint combination held by Jeremy Wotherspoon. He also won gold in the 1000 metres at the World Single Distance Championships that year.

Personal records

Source: SpeedskatingResults.com

World record Nr.EventResultDateLocationNote1. Sprint combination 136.810 29 January 2012 CalgaryWorld record until 28 January 2013

Tournament overview Season Dutch Championships Single Distances Dutch Championships Sprint World Championships Sprint World Championships Single Distances Olympic Games World Cup GWC World Championships Junior Allround 2000–01 18th 500m 25th 1000m 7th 500m 12th 3000m 1500m 12th 5000m 6th overall 2001–02 11th 500m 6th 1000m 12th 1500m 11th 500m 6th 1000m 9th 500m 9th 1000m 7th overall 2002–03 8th 500m 4th 1000m 16th 1500m 8th 500m 6th 1000m 9th 500m 5th 1000m 6th overall 29th 1000m 2003–04 7th 500m 9th 1000m 22nd 1500m 8th 500m 6th 1000m 11th 500m 8th 1000m 8th overall 2004–05 6th 500m 7th 1000m 5th 1500m 7th 500m 6th 1000m 7th 500m 6th 1000m 4th overall 24th 1000m 34th 1500m 2005–06 4th 1000m 8th 1500m 5th 500m 1000m 8th 500m 1000m overall 30th 500m 11th 1000m 31st 500m 7th 1000m 17th overall 8th 1000m 9th 1000m 2006–07 6th 500m 1000m 8th 1500m 7th 500m 1000m 8th 500m 5th 1000m 5th overall 45th 500m 5th 1000m 9th 1500m 2007–08 2008–09 4th 500m 1000m 5th 1500m 500m 1000m 4th 500m 1000m overall 30th 500m 1000m 12th 500m 5th 1000m 18th overall 15th 500m 4th 1000m 7th 1500m 27th 100m 19th 500m 1000m 9th 1500m 2009–10 4th 500m 1000m 1500m 500m 1000m 500m 1000m overall 4th 1000m 16th 1500m 23rd 500m 1000m 6th 1500m 2010–11 500m 1000m 1500m 500m 1000m 500m 1000m overall 500m 1000m 12th 500m 1000m 4th overall 1000m 15th 500m 1000m 1500m 2011–12 500m 1000m 1500m 500m 1000m 9th 500m 1000m overall 9th 500m 1000m 12th 500m 1000m overall 1000m 5th 1500m 15th 500m 1000m 6th 1500m GWC 2012–13 8th 500m 7th 1000m 5th 500m 1000m 4th 500m 1000m overall 18th 500m 4th 1000m 25th 500m 17th 1000m 17th overall 8th 1000m 7th 1000m 24th 1500m 2013–14 6th 500m 4th 1000m 7th 1500m 8th 500m 12th 1000m 8th 500m 1000m 6th overall 38th 500m 1000m 12th 1500m 41st 500m 8th 1000m 22nd 1500m 2014–15 10th 500m 1000m 11th 1500m 11th 500m 1000m 13th 500m 8th 1000m 5th overall 6th 1000m 4th 1000m 2015–16 9th 500m 1000m 1500m 14th 1000m 14th 1500m 32nd 1000m source:

World Cup overview Season 500 meter 2002–2003 2003–2004 2004–2005 2005–2006 2006–2007 – – – – – 3rd(b) – – – – – – – 2007–2008 2008–2009 12th 17th 15th 17th 15th 14th – – 12th 14th 16th 9th 19th 2009–2010 11th 17th 12th 18th 11th(b) DNF – – 14th 8th – – 2010–2011 6th 7th 16th 13th 20th 16th – – 12th 10th 5th – 2011–2012 5th 12th – 12th – 8th – 4th – – – 2012–2013 – – – – – – – 13th(b) – – – - 2013–2014 – – 11th(b) – – 3rd(b) – – – – – – 2014–2015 2015–2016 Season 1000 meter 2002–2003 18th 17th 16th 18th – – – – – 2003–2004 2004–2005 21st 20th 1st(b) 3rd(b) – – – – – 2005–2006 16th 7th DQ 18th – – – 5th 2006–2007 7th 5th 18th 5th 6th 6th 6th 4th 11th 2007–2008 2008–2009 6th – – 6th 4th 2009–2010 DNF 1st(b) 4th – 2010–2011 5th – 2011–2012 4th 4th 2012–2013 – – – – – 7th 8th 2013–2014 10th DQ 7th – 6th 2014–2015 9th 6th 11th 6th 10th 2015–2016 DQ 5th(b) – 3rd(b) – – – Season 1500 meter 2002–2003 2003–2004 2004–2005 – 3rd(b) – – – 2005–2006 2006–2007 – – – 1st(b) 8th 5th 2007–2008 2008–2009 10th 8th 11th 5th – 2009/–010 4th 17th 5th – 5th 2010–2011 4th 9th 4th – 2011–2012 6th 12th 5th 15th 2012–2013 – – – 19th 1st(b) 18th 2013–2014 – – 3rd(b) – 11th 11th 2014–2015 2015–2016

– = Did not participate (b) = Division B DQ = Disqualified DNF = Did not finish

Medals won

Career highlights 2001, 6th, Junior World Championships 2002, 6th, 1000 metres, Dutch National Single Distance Championships 2002, 7th, Dutch National Sprint Championships 2003, 4th, 1000 metres and 8th, 500 metres, Dutch National Single Distance Championships 2003, 6th, Dutch National Sprint Championships 2004, 6th, 500 metres and 9th, 1000 metres, Dutch National Single Distance Championships 2004, 8th, Dutch National Sprint Championships 2005, 5th, 1500 metres; 6th, 500 metres; and 7th, 1000 metres; Dutch National Single Distance Championships 2005, 4th, Dutch National Sprint Championships 2006, 4th, 1000 metres and 8th, 1500 metres, Dutch National Single Distance Championships 2006, 1st, Dutch National Sprint Championships 2006, 8th, 1000 metres, 2006 Winter Olympics 2006, 9th, 1000 metres, World Cup 2007, 2nd, 1000 metres; 6th, 500 metres; and 8th, 1500 metres; Dutch National Single Distance Championships 2014, 1st, 1000 metres, 2014 Winter Olympics Source: www.sskating.com