Beginning in 1959 the Oscar Mathisen Award (also known as the Oscar Mathisen Memorial Award, the Oscar Mathisen Memorial Trophy, and sometimes the Skating Oscar) has been awarded annually to the skater with the most outstanding speed skating performance of the season. The award was introduced by Oslo Skøiteklub (Oslo Skating Club, OSK) to commemorate the legendary Norwegian speed skater Oscar Mathisen (1888–1954). The winner is awarded a miniature of a statue of Oscar Mathisen created by the sculptor Arne Durban. The statue is placed outside Frogner Stadium in Oslo, the venue of many of Oscar Mathisen's most memorable victories.
For the first eight years (1959–1966) no repeat winners were allowed, and women were not eligible to win until 1987. Since its inception in 1959 it has been awarded 66 times to 50 skaters (41 men and 9 women) from 10 countries. Eric Heiden from the United States holds the record for most awards (4 times in 1977–1980) while Gunda Niemann from Germany is the only woman who received this award more than once (3 times in 1995–1997).
Oscar Mathisen Award winners
Year Winner Country 1959 Knut Johannesen 1960 Boris Stenin 1961 Henk van der Grift 1962 Jonny Nilsson 1963 Nils Aaness 1964 Ants Antson 1965 Per Ivar Moe 1966 Kees Verkerk 1967 Kees Verkerk 1968 Fred Anton Maier 1969 Dag Fornæss 1970 Ard Schenk 1971 Ard Schenk 1972 Ard Schenk 1973 Göran Claeson 1974 Sten Stensen 1975 Yevgeny Kulikov 1976 Sten Stensen 1977 Eric Heiden 1978 Eric Heiden 1979 Eric Heiden 1980 Eric Heiden 1981 Amund Sjøbrend 1982 Tomas Gustafson 1983 Rolf Falk-Larssen 1984 Gaétan Boucher 1985 Hein Vergeer 1986 Geir Karlstad 1987 Nikolay Gulyayev 1988 Tomas Gustafson 1989 Leo Visser 1990 Johann Olav Koss 1991 Johann Olav Koss 1992 Bonnie Blair 1993 Falko Zandstra 1994 Johann Olav Koss 1995 Gunda Niemann 1996 Gunda Niemann 1997 Gunda Niemann 1998 Ådne Søndrål 1999 Rintje Ritsma 2000 Gianni Romme 2001 Hiroyasu Shimizu 2002 Jochem Uytdehaage 2003 Anni Friesinger 2004 Chad Hedrick 2005 Shani Davis 2006 Cindy Klassen 2007 Sven Kramer 2008 Jeremy Wotherspoon 2009 Shani Davis 2010 Martina Sáblíková 2011 Bob de Jong 2012 Christine Nesbitt 2013 Ireen Wüst 2014 Jorrit Bergsma 2015 Brittany Bowe 2016 Ted-Jan Bloemen 2017 Sven Kramer 2018 Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen 2019 Kjeld Nuis 2020 Natalya Voronina 2021 Nils van der Poel 2022 Nils van der Poel 2023 Jordan Stolz 2024 Jordan Stolz 2025 Davide Ghiotto
Number of awards by country
Awards won Country18 15 11 6 5 4 1
Number of awards by person
Awards won Skater Country Year(s)4 Eric Heiden 1977, 1978, 1979, 19803 Johann Olav Koss 1990, 1991, 1994 Gunda Niemann 1995, 1996, 1997 Ard Schenk 1970, 1971, 19722 Shani Davis 2005, 2009 Tomas Gustafson 1982, 1988 Sven Kramer 2007, 2017 Sten Stensen 1974, 1976 Jordan Stolz 2023, 2024 Nils van der Poel 2021, 2022 Kees Verkerk 1966, 19671 Nils Aaness 1963 Ants Antson 1964 Jorrit Bergsma 2014 Bonnie Blair 1992 Ted-Jan Bloemen 2016 Gaétan Boucher 1984 Brittany Bowe 2015 Göran Claeson 1973 Bob de Jong 2011 Rolf Falk-Larssen 1983 Dag Fornæss 1969 Anni Friesinger 2003 Nikolay Gulyayev 1987 Chad Hedrick 2004 Knut Johannesen 1959 Geir Karlstad 1986 Cindy Klassen 2006 Yevgeny Kulikov 1975 Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen 2018 Fred Anton Maier 1968 Per Ivar Moe 1965 Christine Nesbitt 2012 Jonny Nilsson 1962 Kjeld Nuis 2019 Rintje Ritsma 1999 Gianni Romme 2000 Martina Sáblíková 2010 Hiroyasu Shimizu 2001 Amund Sjøbrend 1981 Ådne Søndrål 1998 Boris Stenin 1960 Jochem Uytdehaage 2002 Henk van der Grift 1961 Hein Vergeer 1985 Leo Visser 1989 Natalya Voronina 2020 Jeremy Wotherspoon 2008 Ireen Wüst 2013 Falko Zandstra 1993
References
Oscar Winners at Skateresults