Maria Aaltje ("Marianne") Timmer (born 3 October 1974) is a Dutch former speed skater specializing in the middle distances (1000 and 1500 m). At the

1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...

Timmer won a gold medal in both these events.

Speed skating career

In 1999 she won the 1000 m in the World Single Distance Championships and in 2004 became world champion in the sprint. In 2006, she won the 1000 m at the

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...

in Turin. This made her the first skater from the Netherlands to win a gold medal at two different Winter Games. Timmer broke through at the Junior World Championship in 1994, winning bronze. She began to specialize in the shorter distances.

Nagano 1998

Timmer won gold in the 1000 and 1500 meter races during the

in Nagano, beating Chris Witty in the 1000m and Gunda Niemann in the 1500m.

Salt Lake City 2002

At the

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...

in Salt Lake City, Timmer finished 8th in the 500m, fourth in the 1000m, and 21st in the 1500m.

World Sprint Speed Skating Championships, Nagano 2004

On 18 January 2004, Timmer became the first Dutch woman to win a World Sprint Speed Skating Championship. Though she did not win any individual distances (she got three third and one fourth place), the was the most consistent athlete and won the overall championship.

Turin 2006

At the Dutch championships, Timmer qualified for the 500m and 1000m events at the

. She was disqualified after a false start in the 500m race, but a week later she surprisingly won gold in the 1000m, beating out favorites

Cindy Klassen Cindy Klassen, (born August 12, 1979) is a Canadians, Canadian retired long track speed skater. She is a six-time medallist having achieved one gold, two silver, three bronze at the Winter Olympics. She is the only Canadian Olympian to win five ...

and

Anni Friesinger Anna ("Anni") Christine Friesinger-Postma (born 11 January 1977) is a German former speed skater. Her father Georg Friesinger, of Germany, and mother Janina ("Jana") Korowicka, of Poland, were both skaters; Jana was on the Polish team at the 197 ...

by a very slim margin. This result qualified her for the 1500m, where she finished 14th.

2008/2009 season

In January 2008, Timmer announced she wished to extend her contract with sponsor DSB Bank, until the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

in Vancouver, and at the end of February 2008 the contract was signed.

2009/2010 season

On 13 November 2009, Timmer broke her heel on the 500m, during a World Cup event in Thialf. She failed to qualify for the Winter Games in Vancouver

2010/2011 season

At the 2011

Dutch Single Distance Championships The Dutch Single Distance Championships of speed skating, organised by the KNSB, is the official Dutch championship to determine the Dutch champion over a single distance, in contrast to the KNSB Dutch Allround Championships, which determine the ...

in Thialf, Timmer got the third-fastest time on the first 500m, but ran into Marrit Leenstra on the second 500m, and fell. The next day, on the 1000m, she did not get farther than tenth place. Because of her first 500m result, she did qualify for the

2010–11 ISU Speed Skating World Cup The 2010–11 ISU Speed Skating World Cup, officially the ''Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating 2010–2011'', was a series of international speed skating competitions which ran the entire season. The season started on 12 November 2010 in Heerenve ...

. She published a biography in 2010, written by '' Telegraaf'' journalist Frank Woestenburg. She withdrew from the Dutch Sprint Championship on 27 December 2010 after a disappointing 500m on the first day. In May 2010 Timmer,

Annette Gerritsen Annette Albertine Gerritsen (born 11 October 1985) is a Dutch former speed skater. She specialised in the 500 m and 1000 m distances, and won a silver medal in the 1000 metres at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She is the current Dutch jun ...

, and

Margot Boer Margot Madelaine Boer (born 7 August 1985) is a Dutch former speed skater. She specialised in the 500, 1000 and 1500 m. Sports career After spending a few years at local teams in the South Holland area, Boer was seen as one of the Netherlands m ...

left the Control team to start their own team, sponsored by Liga, a company manufacturing biscuits and crackers. She stopped skating on 28 December 2010, though she said she would remain involved with Team Liga. Her official goodbye took place during the Tijdens het

2011 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships The 2011 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships were a long track speed skating event held on 22 and 23 January 2011 in Thialf, Heerenveen Heerenveen (, fry, It Hearrenfean ) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), ...

in Heerenveen, on 22 January 2011. On that occasion she was named an honorary member of the KNSB.

Records

Personal records

World records

Tournament summary

Personal life

Timmer was born in Sappemeer. She was previously married to her former coach Peter Mueller. They were married in Las Vegas in 2001, after which he added her to Spaar Select, his skating team, against the wishes of the other skaters, in what a reviewer of his autobiography called a "dominating and intimidating" way. Timmer and Mueller broke up in 2003, and Mueller avenged himself on Timmer in his autobiography. She is married to ex-goalkeeper Henk Timmer. After a fifteen-year relationship and seven years of marriage, the couple split up in 2019.

References

External links

Marianne Timmer at SkateResults.com

Photos of Marianne Timmer

Olympic Medal Winners

Profile page of Marianne Timmer on Teamliga.nl
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Timmer, Marianne 1974 births Dutch female speed skaters Speed skaters at the 1998 Winter Olympics Speed skaters at the 2002 Winter Olympics Speed skaters at the 2006 Winter Olympics Olympic speed skaters of the Netherlands Medalists at the 1998 Winter Olympics Medalists at the 2006 Winter Olympics Olympic medalists in speed skating Olympic gold medalists for the Netherlands World record setters in speed skating People from Hoogezand-Sappemeer Living people World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships medalists Dutch speed skating coaches Dutch sports coaches 20th-century Dutch women 21st-century Dutch women Sportspeople from Groningen (province)