View source for Johann Olav Koss

{{Short description|Norwegian speed skater (born 1968)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox speed skater
| name           = Johann Olav Koss
| honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|sep=,|CM|OLY}}<ref name="Olympians for Life">{{Cite web|title=WOA honours Olympians for Life inductees|url=https://olympians.org/news/1064/woa-honours-olympians-for-life-inductees/|access-date=2021-01-22|website=olympians.org|language=en}}</ref>
| image          =
| imagesize      = 
| caption        = 
| country        = [[Norway]]
| club           =
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1968|10|29|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Drammen]], Norway
| height         = {{height|m=1.89}}
| headercolor      = #dcecff
| turnedpro      = 1986
| pb             = 500&nbsp;m: 37.98 (1994)<br />1000&nbsp;m: 1:14.9&nbsp;(1993)<br />1500&nbsp;m: 1:51.29 (1994)<br /> 3000&nbsp;m: 3:57.52&nbsp;(1990)<br />5000&nbsp;m: 6:34.96&nbsp;(1994)<br />10 000&nbsp;m: 13:30.55&nbsp;(1994)
| retired   = 1994
| website        = 
| titles         =
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Speed skating at the Winter Olympics|speed skating]]}}
{{MedalCountry |  {{NOR}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Winter Olympics]]}}
{{MedalGold  |[[1992 Winter Olympics|1992 Albertville]] | [[Speed skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics|1,500 m]]}}
{{MedalGold  |[[1994 Winter Olympics|1994 Lillehammer]] | [[Speed skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics – Men's 1500 metres|1,500 m]]}}
{{MedalGold  |1994 Lillehammer |[[Speed skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics – Men's 5000 metres|5,000 m]]}}
{{MedalGold  |1994 Lillehammer |[[Speed skating at the 1994 Winter Olympics – Men's 10000 metres|10,000 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|1992 Albertville |10,000 m}}
|weight=77 kg<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/88548 | title=Olympedia – Johann Olav Koss }}</ref>}}

'''Johann Olav Koss''' (born 29 October 1968) is a former [[Speed skating|speed skater]] from Norway. He won four Olympic gold medals, including three at the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] in his home country.

==Biography==
Johann Olav Koss was born in [[Drammen]], [[Buskerud]] County, Norway. Koss became the Norwegian Junior Champion in 1987, but he could not compete with the world top skaters in the 1986 and 1987 World Junior Championships. In 1988, he debuted with the seniors at the World Championships in [[Almaty|Alma-Ata]], but failed to qualify for the final distance. The following year, he finished eighth in the same tournament (after a fifteenth place in the [[European Speed Skating Championships|European Allround Championships]]), placing second on the 1,500 m. His breakthrough came in 1990, winning the [[World Allround Speed Skating Championships|World Allround Championships]] in [[Innsbruck]], [[Austria]]. The following four years, he would win two more world titles (1991 and 1994), while finishing second in 1993 and third in 1992. He won the European Allround Championships in 1991 and finished second in the next three editions. Koss had a total of twenty-three [[Speed Skating World Cup|World Cup]] wins, while winning four overall World Cup titles (the 1,500 m in 1990 and 1991, and the combined 5,000/10,000 m in 1991 and 1994).

Koss made his Olympic debut at the [[1992 Winter Olympics]], finishing seventh on the 5,000 m, five days after undergoing surgery because of an inflamed [[pancreas]]. He would recover to win gold on the 1,500 m (by only 0.04 seconds over his countryman [[Ådne Søndrål]]) and silver on the 10,000 m (behind Dutch skater [[Bart Veldkamp]]).

In 1994, the final year of his speed skating career, Koss also gained fame outside the speed skating world by winning three gold medals at the [[1994 Winter Olympics]] in his native Norway, winning all races in new [[world record]]s, two of which would remain unbeaten until the [[clap skate]] era. For his performance, he was named ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' magazine's [[Sportsman of the Year]] in 1994, together with [[Bonnie Blair]]. In addition, he received the [[Oscar Mathisen Award]] three times: in 1990, 1991, and 1994.

After his speed skating career, Koss trained as a [[physician]] at the [[University of Queensland]] in Australia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uq.edu.au/olympic-studies/docs/UQOlympians_1992.pdf|title=Olympians at UQ|website=Uq.edu.au|access-date=23 November 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610205508/http://www.uq.edu.au/olympic-studies/docs/UQOlympians_1992.pdf|archive-date=10 June 2011}}</ref> He became a [[UNICEF]] ambassador and a member of the [[International Olympic Committee]] (until 2002). He married [[Canadians|Canadian]] businessperson and politician [[Belinda Stronach]] on 31 December 1999, but they divorced in 2003.

in 2000, Koss founded the Canadian-based International Humanitarian Organisation, [[Right To Play]], which uses sport and play as a tool for the development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. The organization operates in more than 20 countries reaching over one million children each week and is supported by more than 620 staff worldwide and over 14,900 volunteer coaches.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.righttoplay.com/moreinfo/aboutus/Pages/People.aspx|title=People|website=Righttoplay.com|access-date=2016-08-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810072820/http://www.righttoplay.com/moreinfo/aboutus/Pages/People.aspx|archive-date=2016-08-10|url-status=dead}}</ref>  In August 2015, Koss transitioned into the role of founder at Right To Play, where he still stays very active in a variety of fundraising initiatives, and where he maintains his seat on the International Board of Directors.<ref name=":0" />

He married his second wife, Jennifer Lee, in New York on 23 May 2009. Lee's friend [[Chelsea Clinton]] was one of the bridesmaids.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kjendis.no/2009/05/23/kjendis/utenriks/johan_olav_koss/chelsea_clinton/6369187/ |title=- Verdens beste brud - kjendis - Dagbladet.no |access-date=2009-05-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527090014/http://www.kjendis.no/2009/05/23/kjendis/utenriks/johan_olav_koss/chelsea_clinton/6369187/ |archive-date=2009-05-27 }}</ref>  Lee is a [[Harvard College]], [[University of Oxford]], and [[Harvard Business School]] graduate, and a former cellist who studied at [[The Juilliard School]]. She is the granddaughter of Kim Chung Yul,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/09/obituaries/kim-chung-yul-75-south-korean-premier.html|title=Kim Chung Yul, 75, South Korean Premier|date=9 September 1992|access-date=23 November 2017|website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Need more clarifying source for the relation between the former Prime minister and Jen Lee Koss|date=May 2015}} the former Prime Minister of South Korea and Chief of the Korean Armed Forces during the Korean War. She is the co-founder of a retail business called [[BRIKA]] which sells products from under-the-radar artisans and makers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.brika.com/|title=BRIKA - A Well-Crafted Life|website=Brika.com|access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref> Lee is a former management consultant and most recently a private equity investment professional at [[Ontario Teachers' Private Capital]] in [[Toronto]]. They have four children together, Aksel, Annabelle, Andreas and Aleksander.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

In November 2009, after American [[Peter Mueller (speed skater)|Peter Mueller]] was stripped of his coaching role with Norway for an inappropriate comment to a female team member, Koss was appointed head coach, despite no previous coaching experience. Association sporting director Oystein Haugen told Reuters that Koss has been a revelation despite no previous coaching experience.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=406497.html#for+team+norway+koss+boss|title=Olympics 2018|website=Nbcolympics.com|access-date=23 November 2017|archive-date=10 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510131103/http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-features/news/newsid=406497.html#for+team+norway+koss+boss|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Koss completed his [[Executive MBA]] at the [[Joseph L. Rotman School of Management]] in the [[University of Toronto]] in [[Canada]]. He has [[Honorary Doctorate]]s from several universities - [[Brock University]], [[University of Calgary]], [[Vrije Universiteit Brussel]]s, and the [[University of Agder]] in Norway.<ref name=":0" /> On 1 July 2015, Koss was made an [[Member of the Order of Canada|Honorary Member of the Order of Canada]] (CM).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=16133|title=The Governor General of Canada|website=Gg.ca|date=20 September 2017 |access-date=23 November 2017}}</ref>

At the 2018 Olympic Games Koss was inducted into the [[World Olympians Association#Olympians for Life|Olympians for Life]] project for using sport to make a better world.<ref name="Olympians for Life" />

==Medals==
An overview of medals won by Koss at important championships he participated in, listing the years in which he won each:
{| class="wikitable"
! Championships
| align=center bgcolor=gold | '''Gold medal''' || align=center bgcolor=silver | '''Silver medal''' || align=center bgcolor=cc9966 | '''Bronze medal'''
|- align="center"
| align="left" | [[Speed skating at the Winter Olympics|Winter Olympics]] || 1992 (1,500 m) <br /> 1994 (1,500 m) <br /> 1994 (5,000 m) <br /> 1994 (10,000 m) || 1992 (10,000 m) || &ndash;
|- align="center"
| align="left" | [[World Allround Speed Skating Championships|World Allround]] || 1990 <br /> 1991 <br /> 1994 || 1993 || 1992
|- align="center"
| align="left" | [[Speed Skating World Cup|World Cup]] || 1990 (1,500 m) <br /> 1991 (1,500 m) <br /> 1991 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) <br /> 1994 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) || 1992 (1,500 m) <br /> 1992 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) <br /> 1993 (5,000 m / 10,000 m) || 1990 (5,000 m / 10,000 m)
|- align="center"
| align="left" | [[European Speed Skating Championships|European Allround]] || 1991 || 1992 <br /> 1993 <br /> 1994 || &ndash;
|- align="center"
| align="left" | Norwegian Allround || 1991 <br /> 1992 <br /> 1993 <br /> 1994 || 1989 <br /> 1990 || &ndash;
|- align="center"
| align="left" | Norwegian Single Distance || 1989 (1,500 m) <br /> 1989 (5,000 m) <br /> 1990 (1,500 m) <br /> 1990 (5,000 m) <br /> 1990 (10,000 m) <br /> 1991 (1,500 m) <br /> 1991 (5,000 m) <br /> 1991 (10,000 m) <br /> 1993 (1,000 m) <br /> 1993 (5,000 m) <br /> 1994 (1,500 m) || 1989 (1,000 m) <br /> 1990 (1,000 m) <br /> 1992 (1,000 m) <br /> 1992 (5,000 m) || 1988 (10,000 m) <br /> 1991 (1,000 m) <br /> 1992 (1,500 m) <br /> 1994 (5,000 m)
|- align="center"
| align="left" | Norwegian Marathon || &ndash; || 1988 || &ndash;
|}

==Records==

===World records===
Koss skated ten [[List of world records in speed skating|world records]]:

{| class='wikitable'
|-
!Event!!Time!!Date!!Venue
|-
|[[World record progression 3,000 m speed skating men|3000 m]]||3.57,52||13 March 1990||align=left| [[Thialf|Heerenveen]]
|-
|[[World record progression 5,000 m speed skating men|5000 m]]||6.41,73||9 February 1991||align=left| Heerenveen
|-
|[[World record progression 10,000 m speed skating men|10,000 m]]||13.43,54||10 February 1991||align=left| Heerenveen
|-
|[[Samalog|Big combination]]||157.396||10 February 1991||align=left| Heerenveen
|-
|5000 m||6.38,77||22 January 1993||align=left|Heerenveen
|-
|5000 m||6.36,57||13 March 1993||align=left| Heerenveen
|-
|5000 m||6.35,53||4 December 1993||align=left| [[Vikingskipet|Hamar]]
|-
|5000 m||6.34,96||13 February 1994||align=left| Hamar
|-
|[[World record progression 1,500 m speed skating men|1500 m]]||1.51,29||16 February 1994||align=left| Hamar
|-
|10,000 m||13.30,55||20 February 1994||align=left| Hamar
|}

<small>Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com<ref name=stats>
{{cite web|title=Johann Olav Koss
|url=http://www.speedskatingstats.com/index.php?file=skater&code=1968102901
|publisher=SpeedSkatingStats.com
|access-date=29 August 2012}}</ref></small>

===Personal records===
To put these personal records in perspective, the ''WR'' column lists the official world records on the dates that Koss skated his personal records.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Event!!Result!!Date!!Venue!!WR
|- align="right"
|500 m||37.98||7 January 1994||align="left"|[[Vikingskipet Olympic Arena|Hamar]]||35.92
|- align="right"
|1,000 m||1:14.9{{figure space}} ||10 January 1993||align="left"|[[Vikingskipet Olympic Arena|Hamar]]||1:12.58
|- align="right"
|1,500 m||1:51.29||16 February 1994||align="left"|[[Vikingskipet Olympic Arena|Hamar]]||1:51.60
|- align="right"
|3,000 m||3:57.52||13 March 1990||align="left"|[[Thialf|Heerenveen]]||3:59.27
|- align="right"
|5,000 m||6:34.96||13 February 1994||align="left"|[[Vikingskipet Olympic Arena|Hamar]]||6:35.53
|- align="right"
|10,000 m||13:30.55||20 February 1994||align="left"|[[Vikingskipet Olympic Arena|Hamar]]||13:43.54
|- align="right"
|[[Samalog|Big combination]]||157.257||9 January 1994||align="left"|[[Vikingskipet Olympic Arena|Hamar]]||156.882
|}
<small>Source: SpeedskatingResults.com<ref name=Results>{{cite web|title=Johann Olav Koss|url=http://speedskatingresults.com/index.php?p=17&s=695|publisher=SpeedskatingResults.com|access-date=29 August 2012}}</ref></small>

Koss was number one on the [[Adelskalender (skating)|Adelskalender]], the all-time allround speed skating ranking, for a total of 1,998 days, divided over three periods between 1992 and 1997. He has an Adelskalender score of 155.099 points.

==See also==
*[[List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Other sources==
* Eng, Trond. ''All Time International Championships, Complete Results: 1889 - 2002''. Askim, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2002.
* Eng, Trond; Gjerde, Arild and Teigen, Magne. ''Norsk Skøytestatistikk Gjennom Tidene, Menn/Kvinner, 1999 (6. utgave)''. Askim/Skedsmokorset/Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1999.
* Eng, Trond; Gjerde, Arild; Teigen, Magne and Teigen, Thorleiv. ''Norsk Skøytestatistikk Gjennom Tidene, Menn/Kvinner, 2004 (7. utgave)''. Askim/Skedsmokorset/Veggli/Hokksund, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2004.
* Eng, Trond and Teigen, Magne. ''Komplette Resultater fra offisielle Norske Mesterskap på skøyter, 1894 - 2005''. Askim/Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 2005.
* Teigen, Magne. ''Komplette Resultater Norske Mesterskap På Skøyter, 1887 - 1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior''. Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989.
* Teigen, Magne. ''Komplette Resultater Internasjonale Mesterskap 1889 - 1989: Menn/Kvinner, Senior/Junior, allround/sprint''. Veggli, Norway: WSSSA-Skøytenytt, 1989.

==External links==
* [http://www.speedskatingstats.com/index.php?file=skater&code=1968102901 Johann Olav Koss at SpeedSkatingStats.com]
* [http://www.sskating.com/index.php?name=KOSS&fname=Johann-Olav&nat=NOR&lm=m Personal records from Jakub Majerski's Speedskating Database]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070212091729/http://web.telia.com/~u46130641/adel.htm Evert Stenlund's Adelskalender pages]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080622154800/http://en.beijing2008.cn/education/stories/n214077679.shtml Page honouring Johann Koss] on the website of the [[2008 Summer Olympics]]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|NED}} [[Leo Visser]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Oscar Mathisen Award]]|years=1990–1991}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|USA}} [[Bonnie Blair]]}}
{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|NED}} [[Falko Zandstra]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Oscar Mathisen Award]]|years=1994}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|GER}} [[Gunda Niemann]]}}
{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|ESP}} [[Miguel Indurain]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[United Press International Athlete of the Year Award#Male winners|United Press International<br />Athlete of the Year]]|years=1994}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|GBR}} [[Jonathan Edwards (triple jumper)|Jonathan Edwards]]}}
{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|NOR}} [[Atle Skårdal]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year]]|years=1991}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|NOR}} [[Vegard Ulvang]]}}
{{s-bef|before={{flagicon|NOR}} [[Norway national football team]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Norwegian Sportsperson of the Year]]|years=1994}}
{{s-aft|after={{flagicon|NOR}} [[Bjørn Dæhlie]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{adelskalender_leaders}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 1500m Speed Skating Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 5000m Speed Skating Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 10000m Speed Skating}}
{{Footer World Allround Champions Speed Skating Men}}
{{SI Sportsman of the Year}}
{{PAP European Sportsperson of the Year}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koss, Johann Olav}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Drammen]]
[[Category:Speed skaters from Buskerud]]
[[Category:Speed skaters from Toronto]]
[[Category:World record setters in speed skating]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Canada]]
[[Category:Norwegian male speed skaters]]
[[Category:21st-century Norwegian physicians]]
[[Category:Olympic speed skaters for Norway]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for Norway]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Norway]]
[[Category:Speed skaters at the 1992 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Speed skaters at the 1994 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Norwegian International Olympic Committee members]]
[[Category:University of Queensland alumni]]
[[Category:University of Queensland Mayne Medical School alumni]]
[[Category:University of Toronto alumni]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in speed skating]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1992 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1994 Winter Olympics]]
[[Category:World Allround Speed Skating Championships medalists]]
[[Category:20th-century Norwegian sportsmen]]