Marianne Timmer

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 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 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 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, beating Chris Witty in the 1000m and Gunda Niemann in the 1500m.