DHL: Olympic spirit - Dan Jansen

Career Highlights:

1994 Olympic gold medalist in 1000m
1994, 1992, 1988, 1984 member of U.S. Olympic Team
1988 and 1994 U.S. Olympic Spirit Award winner
8 time world record holder in the 500m and 1000m
46 World Cup victories, and more than 50 World Cup medals
Winner of 20 World Championship medals
7 time overall World Cup champion

Biography:

Dan Jansen is known for his speed and spirit. In 1995, he was awarded the Amateur Athletic Union's James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually to an outstanding athlete in the U.S. who exhibits the quality of leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideas of amateurism. In 1988 and 1994, he received the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award for his courage, commitment, perseverance and vision - the only athlete ever to win this award twice. He also received the Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Award in 1994.

If there's one thing you can say about Dan Jansen, it's that he's has his fair share of bouncing back from big disappointments. Born in West Allis, Wisconsin, Dan suffered his first major setback when at the ripe old age of 11 he lost a race at the National Speedskating Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1984 as an 18-year-old at this first Olympic Winter Games, Dan finished fourth in the 500 meters, .16 seconds away from a bronze medal. Not bad for a rookie, but in a country which judges its Olympic winners and losers heavily on the medal count, Dan's accomplishment went unnoticed, unmerited and, in the eyes of many Americans, was viewed a disappointment .

The favored speedskater at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada, Dan needed all the courage he could gather when, on the day he was to race in the 500 meters, his sister Jane died from leukemia. That evening Dan readied himself as best he could in hopes of winning the race for his sister. One hundred meters into the race, Dan fell. He fell again four days later in the 1000-meter race while on a world record pace.

The 1992 Olympic Winter Games brought more disappointment as Dan finished fourth in the 500 meters and 26th in the 1000. Dan's last shot at an elusive Olympic medal came in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. Again the favorite in the 500, Dan was on another world record pace when the unfathomable happened again, a slip in the finals.....no medal. Four days later Dan skated his last Olympic race, the 1000 meters, where he finally raced to a world record and the Olympic gold. Dan dedicated his gold-medal performance to his sister, Jane.

The Dan Jansen Foundation was established in 1994 after Dan's remarkable gold medal performance in the Olympic Winter Games in Lillihamer, Norway. The mission of the Dan Jansen Foundation is to solicit financial support and distribute funds to charities, with an emphasis on the fight against leukemia, which claimed the life of Dan's sister Jane. The foundation supports youth sports programs, educational and scholarship awards.

Beyond the ice, Dan is an avid golfer with a 3 handicap. He also has talent behind the microphone, with broadcasting credits that include: 1998 Olympic Winter Games, Summer and Winter Goodwill Games, and the 2002 Olympic Winter Games on NBC.

DHL Delivers U.S. Olympic Spirit DHL USOC Spirit Awards Paralympic Speaker Series DHL USOC Spirit Cards Contest Team DHL Vonetta Flowers Scott Hamilton Dan Jansen Chris Klug Sarah Will DHL and the U.S. Olympic Team News Sponsorships & promotions Return to DHL-USA		Dan Jansen – 1994 Olympic Gold Medalist (Speed Skating) Career Highlights: 1994 Olympic gold medalist in 1000m 1994, 1992, 1988, 1984 member of U.S. Olympic Team 1988 and 1994 U.S. Olympic Spirit Award winner 8 time world record holder in the 500m and 1000m 46 World Cup victories, and more than 50 World Cup medals Winner of 20 World Championship medals 7 time overall World Cup champion Biography: Dan Jansen is known for his speed and spirit. In 1995, he was awarded the Amateur Athletic Union's James E. Sullivan Award, presented annually to an outstanding athlete in the U.S. who exhibits the quality of leadership, character, sportsmanship and the ideas of amateurism. In 1988 and 1994, he received the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award for his courage, commitment, perseverance and vision - the only athlete ever to win this award twice. He also received the Jim Thorpe Pro Sports Award in 1994. If there's one thing you can say about Dan Jansen, it's that he's has his fair share of bouncing back from big disappointments. Born in West Allis, Wisconsin, Dan suffered his first major setback when at the ripe old age of 11 he lost a race at the National Speedskating Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1984 as an 18-year-old at this first Olympic Winter Games, Dan finished fourth in the 500 meters, .16 seconds away from a bronze medal. Not bad for a rookie, but in a country which judges its Olympic winners and losers heavily on the medal count, Dan's accomplishment went unnoticed, unmerited and, in the eyes of many Americans, was viewed a disappointment . The favored speedskater at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada, Dan needed all the courage he could gather when, on the day he was to race in the 500 meters, his sister Jane died from leukemia. That evening Dan readied himself as best he could in hopes of winning the race for his sister. One hundred meters into the race, Dan fell. He fell again four days later in the 1000-meter race while on a world record pace. The 1992 Olympic Winter Games brought more disappointment as Dan finished fourth in the 500 meters and 26th in the 1000. Dan's last shot at an elusive Olympic medal came in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. Again the favorite in the 500, Dan was on another world record pace when the unfathomable happened again, a slip in the finals.....no medal. Four days later Dan skated his last Olympic race, the 1000 meters, where he finally raced to a world record and the Olympic gold. Dan dedicated his gold-medal performance to his sister, Jane. The Dan Jansen Foundation was established in 1994 after Dan's remarkable gold medal performance in the Olympic Winter Games in Lillihamer, Norway. The mission of the Dan Jansen Foundation is to solicit financial support and distribute funds to charities, with an emphasis on the fight against leukemia, which claimed the life of Dan's sister Jane. The foundation supports youth sports programs, educational and scholarship awards. Beyond the ice, Dan is an avid golfer with a 3 handicap. He also has talent behind the microphone, with broadcasting credits that include: 1998 Olympic Winter Games, Summer and Winter Goodwill Games, and the 2002 Olympic Winter Games on NBC. © 2007 DHL Express (USA), Inc. All Rights Reserved.