Sven Kramer on his Olympic golds, his legendary career, and “finding a new balance” in retirement
The nine-time Olympic medallist who retired after his fifth Games at Beijing 2022, spoke to Olympics.com on what he misses most about his speed skating career and on his new role with one of Dutch's sports teams.
Speed Skating
The speed skating season begins in Stavenger in Norway, and for the first time in nearly two decades, Dutch superstar Sven Kramer will not be a part of it.
The most decorated speed skater in the history of the Olympic Games retired after Beijing 2022 and does not miss the buzz, though he confesses he struggled to find his balance off ice.
“It was quite hard in the beginning to find a new balance," he told Olympics.com. "You were always in the road, always travelling... I don't miss the competition because really stressing and just a lot of pressure.”
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Kramer on his legendary career
Sven Kramer first became Olympic champion in the men's 5000m in Vancouver in 2010 and repeated the feat in Sochi in 2014 (where he also won the team pursuit), and at PyeongChang 2018.
Winning three consecutive Olympic titles at the Winter Games, where he also clinched two silver and three bronze medals, he says were his “most impressive goals.”
“It sounds good,” he admitted in our exclusive interview in Seoul, reflecting on earning the most medals of any men's speed skater in the history of the Winter Olympics.
Away from the Olympic ice, the Dutch star amassed 42 medals at the World and European Championships. Kramer is the all-time most successful speed skater in World Allround and World Single Distance speed skating championships.
Last October, Kramer earned yet another accolade. He was awarded for his Outstanding Sporting Career across five Games at the Association of National Olympic Committees, ANOC, Awards.
“It’s never been my main goal to get so many medals, it was more like enjoying what I am doing. I am proud of it as I worked really hard for it," he told us.
"I lost a lot, but I won a lot as well.” - Sven Kramer to Olympics.com
“(Losing) the 10km in Vancouver…that (was the) big one,” he said of the most crushing defeat in his career.
“It took a while to recover from that one,” he remembered of what could have been his second Olympic gold medal.
Kramer had already won the 5000m speed skating in Vancouver, and despite finishing first in the 10,000m, he was disqualified for failing to switch lanes on the 17th of 25 laps.
That difficult moment emboldened him to train even harder and turned out to be a turning point in his career, which began internationally as a junior when he debuted for the Netherlands at the World Cup in 2004 in Hamar.
“It brought me a lot as well and gave me mental strength to continue my career for so long.”
Kramer on his retirement: “I don’t have the feeling that I missed something”
He retired after Beijing 2022 as the most decorated speed skater in the history of the Olympic Winter Games, capping one of the most dominant stretches in speed skating.
Does he miss the buzz of competition?
“I don't have the feeling that I really missed something, but for sure I sometimes miss just training or joking around with my team-mates and having fun or travelling to other continents.”
“Sometimes I wasn’t even happier after winning a competition,” he admitted.
“It was more like, 'OK happy, next... 'I don't have that stress anymore and I can enjoy everything more. If I am sleeping late, it doesn't matter. If I don't eat correct, it doesn't matter. It gets a bit more comfortable.
“It gave me a lot, but it also took a lot of social wise, and I was always far away from my family, from my kids. And now I have more time for them,” offered Kramer who has two children with his partner Naomi van As, a Dutch field hockey player who is a double Olympic champion.
Kramer is excited that his daughter, who is currently keen on football, has expressed interest on “going on speed skating”, possibly following in her dad’s footsteps, just like her father who was influenced by his parents.
Kramer’s father Yep Kramer, is a two-tie Olympian while his mother Elli, skated provincially for Friesland.
His younger sister Brecht Kramer was a speed skater and competed in the Dutch National Championships.
Growing up in a family with an affinity for sports did help nurture one of the sporting greats, and according to Kramer that has been one of the reasons for the Dutch success in the sport.
“Netherlands’ success in speed skating is because it's in our culture, it's in our DNA,” the 36-year-old explained.
“When it's freezing outside the lakes are frozen, everybody starts getting crazy in Holland.
“That's the biggest reason why we're so successful, because we have so many children who start speed skating, growing up with speed skating, and for sure with the climate changes, it's a bit less (now) than it was in the past. But still, it's one of our main things in culture.”
READ MORE: Speed skating: Sven Kramer - top facts you did not know about the Dutch legend
Though he is not active on ice, the Dutch man has not quite stepped away from the long track sport.
Kramer now works for the largest commercial skating team in the Netherlands.
“It's in my blood, it's in my nerves, it's everywhere,” he said of his new role in speed skating.
“I am working in the direction of the speed skating and cycling team for Jumbo-Visma. It's in the commercial part trying to fund the cycling and the speed skating. It's completely different. I have to learn a lot, but I really like it and am looking forward to it.”