Oscar Mathisen was world champion 1908, 1909, 1912, 1913 and 1914 before
turning professional. The achievement of five victories at WC is only shared by
Clas Thunberg.
(Among the women Gunda Kleemann/Niemann have seven titles and among the sprinters
Igor Zjelezovski
and Karin Busch/Enke/Kania has six titles.) He was also european champion three
times (1909, 1912 and 1914). Furthermore big brother Sigurd was world
champion 1904. Mathisen had
many noteworthy competitors during his long career and among them especially
the two
Russians Nikolaj Strunnikov and Vassilij Ippolitov should be
mentioned. After
finally breaking Jaap
Eden's 5000 meters world record at Davos 17 January 1914, Mathisen held all
world records. In 1929, at the age of 40 he decided to go to Davos and show the
world that he could still skate fast. He claimed that the progess in results
during the twenties was mainly owing to an effective shortening of the distances.
It was possible to go much closer to a string of snow than a rope tied to
steelpoles. With 43.0 and 1.31.1, both results below world record, he proved
his point. Mathisen died in 1954.
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