Reinier Paping (18 February 1931 – 20 December 2021) was a Dutch

speedskater 　 Long-track speed skating, usually simply referred to as speed skating, is the Olympic discipline of speed skating where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as ice skating marathon, ...

primarily known as the winner of the

Elfstedentocht The ''Elfstedentocht'' (; West Frisian: ''Alvestêdetocht'' , English: ''Eleven cities tour'') is a long-distance tour skating event on natural ice, almost long, which is held both as a speed skating competition (with 300 contestants) and a lei ...

of 1963. This Elfstedentocht became known as "The hell of '63" when only 69 of the 9,292 contestants were able to finish the race, due to the extremely low temperatures, dipping to −18°C, and a harsh eastern wind. After winning the race, he was recognized as a national hero in the Netherlands.

Early life and career

Paping was born in

Dedemsvaart Dedemsvaart ("Dedem's Canal") (Dutch Low Saxon: ''De Voart'') is a town in Overijssel, the Netherlands. Overview The town is located along an old canal, also called , which is the source of the village's name. The canal lost its commercial imp ...

on 18 February, 1931. Before 1963, Paping had participated in several Dutch allround championships, with a 4th place in 1955 as his best result.

The 1963 Elfstedentocht

Not even halfway through the harsh Elfstedentocht of 18 January 1963, Paping skated away from a leading group with Jeen van den Berg, Anton Verhoeven, and Jan Uitham, and travelled the rest of the trip alone. Paping finished the race in ten hours and 59 minutes, while the second-place finisher, Jan Uitham, arrived a full 22 minutes later. Because of the horrendous conditions—which included bone-chilling cold of −18 °C—his long solo escape, and the fact that the next Elfstedentocht was not held until 22 years later, Paping became a national hero and the tour itself legendary.

Death

Paping died on 20 December 2021, at age 90.Schaatslegende Paping (90) overleden, winnaar zwaarste tocht der tochten

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Paping, Reinier 1931 births 2021 deaths Dutch male speed skaters People from Avereest Sportspeople from Overijssel