Competitive History
Jansen's competitive results improved in the years since the 1984 Olympics, and he overcame a case of mononucleosis in 1987. In 1988, he became the World Sprint Champion. In the 1988 Winter Olympics, Jansen was a favorite for the 500 and 1,000 meter races.
However, in the early hours of the day of the 500 meter event, he was informed that his sister Jane was dying of leukemia, but was unable to receive a response. Later that day, Jansen was notified of his sister's passing, and he fell early in his event. A few days later in the 1,000 meter event, he began with record-breaking speed but fell again. Jansen left the 1988 Olympics with no medals, but became the recipient of the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award for his valiant efforts through tragedy.
In the 1992 Winter Olympics, Jansen was tipped as a favorite to win the gold medal, and a year before, he had set a world record in the 500 meters event. He finished fourth in the 500 meters and twenty-sixth in the 1,000 meters, and left the Olympic Games with no medals.
Between the 1992 and 1994 Olympics, Jansen was the only skater to break 36 seconds in the 500 meters, doing so four times. In 1994, Jansen won his second World Sprint Championships title, and he arrived at the 1994 Winter Olympics for one final attempt at an Olympic medal. In the 500 meter event, he finished eighth. In preparation for the 1,000 meter event, he was coached by Peter Mueller, who won the same event in the 1976 Winter Olympics. Jansen defied expectations and finished first, winning his first and only Olympic medal of his career, while setting a new world record in the process. He dedicated the gold medal to his late sister, then took one final victory lap around the rink with his one-year-old daughter, Jane. For his efforts, Jansen received the 1994 James E. Sullivan Award and was chosen by his fellow Olympians to bear the U.S. flag at the closing ceremony of the 1994 Winter Olympics. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.
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