Quick Facts
Biography
Roald Edgar Aas (25 March 1928 – 18 February 2012) was a speed skater and cyclist from Norway. He was born in Oslo. Aas was the number two speed skater in Norway through the entire 1950s—initially after Hjalmar Andersen, later after Knut Johannesen. He became Norwegian champion once, in 1956, but finished second seven times.
Aas participated in all international championships between 1951 and 1960, almost always finishing in the top ten. He won bronze at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships in 1958, and at two European Speed Skating Championships, in 1957 and 1960. At the Oslo Winter Olympics, he won bronze on the 1500 m, while at the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics in 1960, he finally won gold, shared with Yevgeny Grishin, also in 1500 m.
Aas also was a successful cyclist, winning the 1956 Norwegian Championships in both road cycling and track cycling. For his achievements as both a speed skater and a cyclist, Aas was awarded the prestigious Egebergs Ærespris in 1956.
Until 1956, Aas represented Oslo Idrettslag (Oslo Sports Club) – from 1957 on, he represented Oslo Skøiteklub (Oslo Skating Club). When he ended his skating career, he became a coach at Oslo Skøiteklub.
Medals
An overview of medals won by Aas at important championships he participated in, listing the years in which he won each:
| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics | 1960 (1500 m) | – | 1952 (1500 m) |
| World Allround | – | – | 1958 |
| European Allround | – | – | 1957 1960 |
| Norwegian Allround | 1956 | 1952 1953 1955 1957 1958 1959 1960 | 1951 |
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Aas skated his personal records.
| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 42.3 | 28 February 1960 | Squaw Valley | 40.2 |
| 1000 m | 1:27.4 | |||
| 1500 m | 2:10.4 | 26 February 1960 | Squaw Valley | 2:06.3 |
| 3000 m | 4:41.7 | 22 March 1958 | Geilo | 4:40.2 |
| 5000 m | 8:01.6 | 29 January 1956 | Misurina | 7:45.6 |
| 10000 m | 17:08.2 | 19 January 1958 | Notodden | 16:32.6 |
Aas has an Adelskalender score of 185.337 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was a thirteenth place.