# Rintje Ritsma

Robert Rintje Ritsma (born 13 April 1970) is a Dutch former long track speed skater. His nickname is the Beer van Lemmer, which translates to the "Bear from Lemmer", analogous to Igor Zhelezovski's nickname "The Bear from Minsk", both of which are in reference to their imposing physical appearance.
He appeared in the Dutch version of The Masked Singer as the Springbok.
In October 2022 Ritsma started as the Dutch national speed skating coach of the team pursuit, team sprint, and the mass start.

## Speed skating career

He has won the World Allround Championships 4 times. He won this title in 1995, 1996, 1999 and 2001; he was second in 1998 and 2003; he was third in 1993, 1994 and 2000.
He has won the European Allround Championships a record 6 times: 1994-1996 and 1998-2000.
He participated in five Winter Olympics, winning two silver and four bronze medals, from the 1994, 1998 and 2006 Games.
He also stood at the top of the alltime world ranking, the Adelskalender, for a long time (1,125 days in total).

## Records
### World records

Over the course of his career, Ritsma skated 4 world records:
| Event | Result | Date | Location | Notes |
| 1500 meter | 1:51.60 | 8 January 1994 | Hamar | World record until 16 February 1994 |
| Big combination | 156.201 | 9 January 1994 | Hamar | World record until 4 January 1998 |
| 1500 meter | 1:48.88 | 20 December 1997 | Heerenveen | World record until 12 February 1998 |
| Big combination | 152.651 | 7 February 1999 | Hamar | World record until 17 March 2002 |
Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com

### Personal records

Personal records :
| Men's speed skating |||||
| Event | Result | Date | Location | Notes |
| 500 meter | 35.90 | 20 February 1999 | Hamar | |
| 1000 meter | 1:10.19 | 20 February 1999 | Hamar | |
| 1500 meter | 1:45.86 | 19 February 2002 | Hamar | |
| 3000 meter | 3:49.29 | 11 March 2004 | Heerenveen | |
| 5000 meter | 6:20.26 | 19 November 2005 | Salt Lake City | |
| 10000 meter | 13:28.19 | 17 February 1998 | Hamar | |
Source: SpeedskatingResults.com

## Tournament overview

| Season | Dutch Championships Single Distances | Dutch Championships Allround | Dutch Championships Sprint | European Championships Allround | Olympic Games | World Championships Single Distances | World Championships Allround | World Championships Sprint | World Cup GWC | World Championships Junior Allround |
| 1987–88 | | | | | | | | | | SEOUL 15th 500m 7th 3000m 9th 1500m 4th 5000m 5th overall |
| 1988–89 | HEERENVEEN 23rd 500m 16th 1500m 12th 5000m | | | | | | | | | KYIV 29th 500m 3000m 8th 1500m 5000m overall |
| 1989–90 | HEERENVEEN 11th 500m 8th 1500m 9th 5000m 15th 10000m | ASSEN 8th 500m 5th 5000m 6th 1500m 5th 10000m 5th overall | | | | | | | | |
| 1990–91 | THE HAGUE 4th 1500m 4th 5000m 6th 10000m | ALKMAAR 12th 500m 5th 5000m 12th 1500m 6th 10000m 7th overall | | | | | | | 13th 1500m | |
| 1991–92 | HEERENVEEN 5th 1000m 1500m 6th 5000m 7th 10000m | ALKMAAR 500m 5000m 1500m 4th 10000m overall | | HEERENVEEN 4th 500m 6th 5000m 1500m 6th 10000m overall | ALBERTVILLE 27th 500m 12th 1000m 4th 1500m | | CALGARY 5th 500m 8th 5000m 8th 1500m 6th 10000m 5th overall | | 4th 1500m 11th 5000/10000m | |
| 1992–93 | DEVENTER 500m 1500m 5000m 10000m | ASSEN 500m 5th 5000m 1500m 5th 10000m overall | | HEERENVEEN 500m 4th 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | | HAMAR 500m 4th 5000m 1500m 4th 10000m overall | | 1500m 5000/10000m | |
| 1993–94 | HEERENVEEN 1500m 5000m 10000m | THE HAGUE 500m 4th 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | HAMAR 500m 5000m 1500m 4th 10000m overall | LILLEHAMMER 1500m 5000m 7th 10000m | | GOTHENBURG 8th 500m 6th 5000m 4th 1500m 4th 10000m overall | | 27th 1000m 1500m 5000/10000m | |
| 1994–95 | THE HAGUE 1500m 5000m 10000m | ASSEN 500m 6th 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | HEERENVEEN 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | | BASELGA di PINÈ 500m 5th 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | 1500m 5000/10000m | |
| 1995–96 | GRONINGEN 1500m | THE HAGUE 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | HEERENVEEN 7th 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | HAMAR 8th 5000m 10th 10000m | INZELL 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | 8th 1500m 5000/10000m | |
| 1996–97 | | ASSEN 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | HEERENVEEN 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | WARSAW 1500m 5000m 10000m | NAGANO 9th 500m 7th 5000m 5th 1500m 7th 10000m 5th overall | | 1500m 5000/10000m | |
| 1997–98 | HEERENVEEN 1500m 5000m | | | HELSINKI 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | NAGANO 1500m 5000m 10000m | CALGARY 4th 1500m 5000m | HEERENVEEN 4th 500m 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | 1500m 4th 5000/10000m | |
| 1998–99 | GRONINGEN 1500m 5000m 4th 10000m | | GRONINGEN 4th 500m 1000m 5th 500m 1000m 4th overall | HEERENVEEN 500m 5000m 1500m 9th 10000m overall | | HEERENVEEN 1500m 18th 5000m | HAMAR 4th 500m 6th 5000m 1500m 4th 10000m overall | CALGARY 17th 500m 9th 1000m 27th 500m 14th 1000m 19th overall | 1500m 5th 5000/10000m | |
| 1999–2000 | | THE HAGUE 500m 5000m 1500m 5th 10000m overall | | HAMAR 500m 4th 5000m 4th 1500m 6th 10000m overall | | | MILWAUKEE 7th 500m 6th 5000m 5th 1500m 7th 10000m overall | | 1500m 4th 5000/10000m | |
| 2000–01 | THE HAGUE 11th 1000m 5th 1500m 5000m | HEERENVEEN 24th 500m 13th 5000m 9th 1500m DNQ 10000m NC22 overall | | | | SALT LAKE CITY 13th 1500m | BUDAPEST 5th 500m 7th 5000m 1500m 10000m overall | | 1500m 9th 5000/10000m | |
| 2001–02 | GRONINGEN 9th 1000m 1500m 5000m | ALKMAAR 500m 15th 5000m DNS 1500m DNS 10000m NC overall | GRONINGEN 13th 500m 11th 1000m 13th 500m 12th 1000m 12th overall | | SALT LAKE CITY 9th 1500m | | | | 12th 1500m 16th 5000/10000m | |
| 2002–03 | UTRECHT 11th 1500m 6th 5000m | ASSEN 8th 500m 6th 5000m 4th 1500m 10000m overall | | HEERENVEEN 8th 500m 5000m 4th 1500m 10000m overall | | | GOTHENBURG 11th 500m 5000m 5th 1500m 10000m overall | | | |
| 2003–04 | HEERENVEEN 13th 5000m | EINDHOVEN 10th 500m 12th 5000m 10th 1500m 10th 10000m 9th overall | | | | | | | | |
| 2004–05 | ASSEN 25th 1500m 10th 5000m | HEERENVEEN 6th 500m 12th 5000m 13th 1500m 8th 10000m 7th overall | | | | | | | | |
| 2005–06 | HEERENVEEN 22nd 1500m 4th 5000m | UTRECHT 5th 500m 5000m 11th 1500m 10000m overall | | | TURIN team pursuit | | | | 15th 5000/10000m | |
| 2006–07 | ASSEN 20th 5000m | HEERENVEEN 16th 500m 5th 5000m 21st 1500m 5th 10000m 6th overall | | | | | | | team pursuit | |
| 2007–08 | | GRONINGEN 19th 500m 15th 5000m 22nd 1500m DNQ 10000m NC overall(20) | | | | | | | | |
source:

## World Cup overview

On 1 December 2013 in Astana, Kazakhstan, Sven Kramer won his 30th ISU World Cup event thus surpassing Ritsma as the most successful Dutch World Cup speed skater.
| Season | 1500 meter | 1500 meter | 1500 meter | 1500 meter | 1500 meter | 1500 meter | 1500 meter |
| 1990–1991 | 17th | 20th | 22nd | 9th | – | | |
| 1991–1992 | 4th | | | 10th | 10th | | |
| 1992–1993 | | | | | | 4th | |
| 1993–1994 | 4th | | 5th | | | | |
| 1994–1995 | 5th | | | 5th | | | 6th |
| 1995–1996 | 5th | 4th | 5th | 4th | 8th | 12th | |
| 1996–1997 | | | – | – | 5th | | |
| 1997–1998 | 4th | | 4th | | | – | |
| 1998–1999 | 7th | | 6th | – | | | |
| 1999–2000 | 6th | | 17th | 6th | | | |
| 2000–2001 | | | | 16th | 16th | | |
| 2001–2002 | 5th | 11th | – | – | 6th | 10th | |
| 2005–2006 | | | | | | | |
| Season | 5000/10000 meter | 5000/10000 meter | 5000/10000 meter | 5000/10000 meter | 5000/10000 meter | 5000/10000 meter | 5000/10000 meter | 5000/10000 meter |
| 1990–1991 | | | | | | | | |
| 1991–1992 | – | 20th* | 7th | 14th | | | | |
| 1992–1993 | | 4th | | | | 9th | 8th* | |
| 1993–1994 | | | * | | 4th | 4th | 5th* | |
| 1994–1995 | | | | | | | | 7th* |
| 1995–1996 | | 4th | | | | | * | |
| 1996–1997 | | | | –* | 6th | | | |
| 1997–1998 | 5th | 4th | 6th | * | | – | | |
| 1998–1999 | | 16th* | | – | | | | |
| 1999–2000 | 4th | 6th* | 13th | | 4th | | | |
| 2000–2001 | | –* | 4th | – | 16th | | | |
| 2001–2002 | | 12th | 20th | – | – | | | |
| 2005–2006 | 12th | 13th | –* | 15th | 8th | | | |
| Season | Team pursuit | Team pursuit |
| 1990–1991 | | |
| 1991–1992 | | |
| 1992–1993 | | |
| 1993–1994 | | |
| 1994–1995 | | |
| 1995–1996 | | |
| 1996–1997 | | |
| 1997–1998 | | |
| 1998–1999 | | |
| 1999–2000 | | |
| 2000–2001 | | |
| 2001–2002 | | |
| 2005–2006 | – | – |
Source:
    – = Did not participate
    * = 10000 meter

## Medals won

| Championship | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Dutch Single Distances | 11 | 5 | 3 |
| Dutch Allround Events | 7 | 12 | 7 |
| Dutch Allround Classification | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| European Allround Events | 12 | 8 | 8 |
| European Allround Classification | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Olympic Games | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| World Cup Events | 29 | 20 | 14 |
| World Cup Classification | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| World Single Distances | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| World Allround Events | 3 | 8 | 6 |
| World Allround Classification | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| World Junior Allround Events | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| World Junior Allround Classification | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 82 | 68 | 55 |