Hans Engnestangen Nor

Given name Hans
Surname Engnestangen
Sex Male
Born 28 March 1908
Died 9 May 2003 in Brandbu (NOR)

Hans Engnestangen, born in Brandbu, was a Norwegian speed skater in the late 20s and 30s. He was a member of the "Hadeland trio" (<Ballangrud, Staksrud and Engnestangen) who dominated both Norwegian and international speed skating in the 1930s.

He was first and foremost a sprinter, and held 4 world records on 500 m and 1500 m. At the break of World War II he held both these records, and they were both standing until they were beaten by Russian skaters at Medeo January 1952. Since that no Norwegian skater has been holding the 500 m World Record.

In international championships he had 8 distance wins in the two shortest distances, but his long distances were usually not good enough to fight for an overall podium position. But in the World Championships 1933 he was close to Staksrud and Ballangrud on 5000 m and he even beat Ballangrud on the 10000 m, and he won his only international title.

He had no luck in Olympic Games. Unfamiliar with the mass start style he did not qualify for the final in any of the races in Lake Placid 1932. He was one of the medal favourites in Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936, at least for the 500 m. But the crispy ice on the Rießersee did not suit his hard skating strokes. He fell and gave up on the 500 m and he placed 8th on the 1500 m.

Engnestangen switched to the Workers' Sports Federation in 1928 and 19 years old he won both 500 m and 1500 m in the Winter Spartakiade held at Bislett, in competition with the best Russian speed skaters, among them Yakov Melnikov and Platon Ippolitov. He was Norwegian Workers' Champion three years in a row, until he switched back to "bourgeois" skating in 1931. He immediately made the national team and placed 5th in his first European Championships. Together with Michael Staksrud he represented Hamar and was coached by former top-skater Peter Sinnerud. He was Norwegian Champion 1937 and 1938

Highest rank on the Adelskalender: 4 (1938)

Last updated on 26 November 2005 by Bjarte Hetland.

International Championship Results

Result Distance Date Tournament Venue
5 Allround Men 24 February 1929 World Workers Championships 1929 Oslo
5 Allround Men 8 February 1931 European Championships Men 1931 Stockholm
5 500 m Men (3rd Heat) 4 February 1932 Olympic Winter Games 1932 Lake Placid
4 1500 m Men (1st Heat) 5 February 1932 Olympic Winter Games 1932 Lake Placid
6 10000 m Men (2nd Heat) 6 February 1932 Olympic Winter Games 1932 Lake Placid
11 Allround Men 20 February 1932 World Championships Men 1932 Lake Placid
Gold 1 Allround Men 19 February 1933 World Championships Men 1933 Trondheim
6 Allround Men 4 February 1934 European Championships Men 1934 Hamar
NC15 Allround Men 18 February 1934 World Championships Men 1934 Helsinki
Bronze 3 Allround Men 17 February 1935 World Championships Men 1935 Oslo
6 Allround Men 26 January 1936 European Championships Men 1936 Oslo
NC27 Allround Men 2 February 1936 World Championships Men 1936 Davos
NF 500 m Men 11 February 1936 Olympic Winter Games 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
8 1500 m Men 13 February 1936 Olympic Winter Games 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Silver 2 Allround Men 31 January 1937 European Championships Men 1937 Davos
NC13 Allround Men 14 February 1937 World Championships Men 1937 Oslo
6 Allround Men 23 January 1938 European Championships Men 1938 Oslo
NC20 Allround Men 6 February 1938 World Championships Men 1938 Davos
NC16 Allround Men 19 February 1939 World Championships Men 1939 Helsinki
NC15 Allround Men 4 February 1940 Unofficial World Championships Men 1940 Oslo

World Records

Distance Time Rink Date
500 m Men 42,5 Davos 21 January 1933
500 m Men 42,3 Davos 30 January 1937
500 m Men 41,8 Davos 5 February 1938
1500 m Men 2.13,8 Davos 29 January 1939