Inducted 1995

Speedskater Dan Jansen captured our hearts with his failures as much as with his victories. The West Allis native entered the 1988 Winter Olympics as the favorite at a couple distances, but after learning only hours before that his sister had died he still raced and fell - not once but twice.
Jansen continued to train hard after that disappointment and continued to win medals in World Cup competition. But, when he slipped again in the 500 meters, it looked like he might never win Olympic gold. Finally, in the 1,000 meters, Jansen set a world record and won the gold. He made an emotional victory lap to the cheers of the world.
In addition to that Olympic gold, Jansen won more than 30 World Cup races, more than 50 World Cup medals and 20 World Championship medals. After retiring from skating, Jansen did TV work and established the Dan Jansen Foundation for research into leukemia, which claimed the life of his sister.