Willem "Wim" de Graaff (25 August 1931 – 12 January 2021) was a Dutch

speed skater Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. ...

who competed in the

1956 Winter Olympics The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( lld, Anpezo 1956 or ), was a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from ...

and in the

1960 Winter Olympics The 1960 Winter Olympics (officially the VIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Squaw Valley 1960) were a winter multi-sport event held from February 18 to 28, 1960, at the Squaw Valley Resort (now known as Palisades Tahoe) in Squaw Vall ...

. He was born and died in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

. In 1956 he finished fourth in the 5000 metres event, eleventh in the 1500 metres competition, 18th in the 10000 metres contest, and 43rd in the 500 metres event. Four years later he finished 15th in the 1500 metres competition and 28th in the 500 metres contest at the 1960 Games. He later became a famous skate coach and owner of a sportshop in

Maassluis Maassluis () is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of in and covered of which was water. It received city rights in 1811. History Maassluis was founded circa 1340 as a se ...

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* 1931 births 2021 deaths Dutch male speed skaters Olympic speed skaters for the Netherlands Speed skaters at the 1956 Winter Olympics Speed skaters at the 1960 Winter Olympics Sportspeople from Rotterdam Speed skaters from South Holland {{Netherlands-speed-skating-bio-stub