Bart Veldkamp
A durable Olympic speed skater who won gold for the Netherlands, then extended his career by switching allegiance to Belgium.
Born 1967 (age 59)·Dutch speed skater·Birthday: November 22·Generation X
Biography
Bart Veldkamp's career on the long track is a tale of endurance and adaptation. Bursting onto the scene as a powerful Dutch skater, he claimed Olympic gold in the 10,000 meters at the 1992 Albertville Games, beating the legendary Johann Olav Koss. As a new generation of Dutch skaters emerged, Veldkamp found his path to the Olympics blocked by the Netherlands' intense internal competition. Unwilling to retire, he made an unusual move: in 1996, he began skating for Belgium, the country of his wife's birth. This switch granted him a second act, allowing him to compete in two more Winter Olympics for his new nation. His relentless drive saw him contest a remarkable five Olympic Games in total. After hanging up his skates, he seamlessly transitioned to coaching, now guiding Belgium's national speed skating team and imparting the lessons of his long, unconventional journey.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bart was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bart Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Bart's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the gold medal in the men's 10,000 meters at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville for the Netherlands.
- Competed in five consecutive Winter Olympics (1992–2006), representing two different countries.
- Became the Belgian national champion in speed skating after switching allegiances in the late 1990s.
- Won a bronze medal in the 5000m at the 1997 World Single Distance Championships.
Did You Know?
He is the only speed skater to have represented two different countries at the Olympic Games.
His Olympic career spanned 14 years, from 1992 to 2006.
He defeated Norwegian great Johann Olav Koss to win his 1992 Olympic gold medal.
After retiring, he became the head coach of the Belgian speed skating team.
“You race the clock, the ice, and your own limits.”
