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Thomas Bos

Thomas Bos (born 1968 in Den Haag, the Netherlands) is a retired Dutch speed skater who competed at the 1992 Winter Olympics and set a world record in the 3000 m in April 1992.

Key factDetail
Born1968, Den Haag (The Hague), Zuid-Holland, Netherlands1
Measurements190 cm / 82 kg1
ClubDelftse Kunstijsbaan Vereniging1
Olympic result11th, men's 10,000 m, 1992 Winter Olympics, Albertville (14:40.13, 20 February 1992)1 • 2
World record3000 m, 3:56.16, Calgary, 3 April 1992; stood until 8 March 19961 • 3
Personal bests500 m 38.52; 1000 m 1:15.02; 1500 m 1:53.16; 5000 m 6:44.24; 10,000 m 13:54.99 (all 1992)1
World CupOne win and one third place; 10,000 m in 14:37.24 at Butte (USA), 28 March 19922

Career

Bos was an allround and long-distance skater who competed internationally from the mid-1980s, with recorded results from junior and senior events beginning in the 1984/85 and 1985/86 seasons2.

His only Olympic appearance came at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France, where he finished 11th in the men's 10,000 meters in 14:40.13 on 20 February 19921 • 2.

The 1992 season and the 3000 m world record

Bos's best season was 1991/92, when nearly all of his personal bests were set, most of them at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, the high-altitude rink then producing the fastest times in the sport1 • 2. At the World Allround Championships in Calgary in March 1992 he set his best marks at 500 m (38.52), 1500 m (1:53.16), and 5000 m (6:44.24)2.

His signature performance came after the championship season. At the Olympic Oval Finale in Calgary on 3 April 1992, Bos skated the 3000 m in 3:56.16, a world record1 • 2. The record progression shows what the time displaced and what replaced it: Leo Visser's 3:59.27 from 1987 and Johann Olav Koss's 3:57.52 from 1990 had been set on lowland tracks, while Bos's mark was set on the fast Calgary ice; it stood until Bob de Jong skated 3:53.06 in Calgary on 8 March 19963. Olympedia lists Bos among the Olympians who set a world record in speed skating, with the 3000 m mark recognized from 3 April 1992 to 8 March 19961.

World Cup and national results

In World Cup competition Bos recorded one win and one third place, both in the closing meetings of the 1991/92 season at Butte, Montana, where his 10,000 m time of 14:37.24 on 28 March 1992 stands as his recorded mark for that meeting2. Across his career he made 60 World Cup starts with 33 top-ten finishes2.

At the Dutch national championships he won one title, took one second place, and placed third four times in 32 starts2. His 10,000 m personal best of 13:54.99 was skated at the 1992 European Championships in Heerenveen on 17 January 19921 • 2.

References

  1. Thomas Bos, Olympedia
  2. Athlete Data of Thomas Bos, SpeedSkatingNews.info
  3. Speed Skating record archive (3000 m world record progression), Speed Skating Canada

Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Winter and ice sports › Ice skating sports › Speed skating (long track) › Speed skaters › Dutch speed skaters

Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026

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