Cathrine Grage

Cathrine Grage at 3.000 m start during World Cup 2008 in Berlin

Cathrine Grage (born 13 October 1976) is a Danish Olympic speedskater. Grage and fellow skater Oliver Sundberg are the first Danish speedskaters to reach international competition levels since Kurt Stille ended his career in 1964.

Grage's 2006, 2007 and 2008 results were good enough to pass the qualification limits of the International Skating Union for participation in the European Championships. She also competes regularly in ISU's World Cup.

Grage holds the Danish records at all distances, and has set a national record of 51 national records over the individual distances since she started competing in 2005: 10 on the 500-m; 8 on the 1,000-m; 10 on the 1,500-m; 14 on the 3,000-m; 5 on the 5,000-m; and finally 3 in the 10,000-m. In addition she has set a total of 8 further national records in the samalogue events (sprint combination, mini combination, small combination, and big combination).

As of December 2007, her Danish records were 43.19 on the 500-m, 1:23.07 on the 1,000-m, 2:03.21 on the 1,500-m, 4:13.85 on the 3,000-m, 7:20.45 on the 5,000-m, and 15:14.90 on the 10,000-m. All of these were already stronger than Kurt Stille's results, which up to March 2005 were Danish records for men.

The pre-Olympic 2008-2009 season was not a very successful one for Grage, e.g. regarding World Cup results. But in Calgary, March 2009, she again managed to set new national records, in fact six such over three days (by itself another national record): 42.99 on the 500-m; 2:01.88 on the 1,500-m; 1:22.52 on the 1,000-m; 4:11.86 on the 3,000-m; resulting also in the small combination pointsum record 166.853; and finally 15:11.84 in the 10,000-m.

Grage participated in her first Olympic Games, after only 4 years of participating in Long track speed skating. She competed in the 3000m Ladies event, as well as the 5000m. Grage placed 14th, in the 5000m, with a time of 7:23:83. A difference of +32.92 seconds off the gold. In the 3000m, Cathrine places 27th with a time 4:20.93 and a difference of only +18.40 off the gold.

National speedskating records set by Grage

Event	Date	Result	Venue
500-m	26 February 2005	53.60	København
	19 March 2005	51.79	Groningen
	6 November 2005	48.82	Göteborg
	17 December 2005	47.10	Inzell
	18 December 2005	46.48	Inzell
	29 December 2005	45.56	Hamar
	10 January 2006	44.7	Hamar
	14 January 2006	43.91	Hamar
	10 March 2007	43.19	Calgary
	18 March 2009	42.99	Calgary
1000-m	5 November 2005	1:36.66	Göteborg
	27 November 2005	1:35.54	Karlstad
	18 December 2005	1:32.18	Inzell
	29 December 2005	1:30.3	Hamar
	11 January 2006	1:25.9	Hamar
	16 March 2007	1:23.82	Calgary
	17 March 2007	1:23.03	Calgary
	19 March 2009	1:22.52	Calgary
1500-m	26 February 2005	2:42.25	København
	6 November 2005	2:21.3	Göteborg
	4 December 2005	2:10.73	Heerenveen
	29 October 2006	2:10.70	Erfurt
	13 January 2007	2:06.89	Collalbo
	4 February 2007	2:06.69	Torino
	14 March 2007	2:05.97	Calgary
	10 November 2007	2:04.31	Salt Lake City
	17 November 2007	2:03.21	Calgary
	18 March 2009	2:01.88	Calgary
3000-m	26 February 2005	5:22.09	København (massstart)
	5 November 2005	4:50.1	Göteborg
	27 November 2005	4:46.84	Karlstad
	10 December 2005	4:32.56	Torino
	29 December 2005	4:32.45	Hamar
	14 January 2006	4:26.38	Hamar
	12 November 2006	4:23.67	Heerenveen
	18 November 2006	4:22.19	Berlin
	3 February 2007	4:21.33	Torino
	13 March 2007	4:18.51	Calgary
	3 November 2007	4:16.50	Salt Lake City
	11 November 2007	4:14.65	Salt Lake City
	16 November 2007	4:13.85	Calgary
	19 March 2009	4:11.86	Calgary
5000-m	3 December 2005	7:38.79	Heerenveen
	22 October 2006	7:38.51	Erfurt
	18 February 2007	7:28.99	Erfurt
	14 March 2007	7:28.06	Calgary
	1 December 2007	7:20.45	Kolomna
10,000-m	4 March 2006	16:24.29	Groningen
	21 March 2006	15:48.86	Heerenveen
	15 March 2007	15:14.90	Calgary
	20 March 2009	15:11.84	Calgary

Grage also owns various national samalogue (allround point combination) records; these are apparently not all ratified by the Danish skating association, however. With reasonable definitions, these samalogue records are as follows (as of November 2007):

Overall sprint combination:

170.245 (43.49, 1:23.82, 43.31, 1:23.07), Calgary, 15–16 March 2007.

Overall mini combination:

192.600 (1:36.66, 4:50.1, 48.82, 2:21.3), Göteborg, 4–5 November 2005.

181.284 (2:15.50, 45.56, 1:30.3, 4:32.45), Hamar, 27–28 December 2005.

166.853 (42.99, 2:01.88, 1:22,25, 4:11.86), Calgary, 18–19 March 2009.

Overall small combination:

182.553 (2:15.50, 7:44.19, 45.56, 4:32.45), Hamar, 27–28 December 2005.

178.920 (44.61, 4:28.46, 2:10.70, 7:40.01), Erfurt, 27–28 October 2006.

173.171 (43.29, 4:18.51, 2:05.97, 7:28.06), Calgary, 12–13 March 2007.

Overall big combination:

175.831 (43.29, 7:28.06, 2:05.97, 15:14.90), Calgary, 12–13 March 2007.

UPDATE: New National records pr 19. sept 2010 - 61 in total

New national speedskating records set by Grage

Event	Date	Result	Venue
500-m	19 December 2009	42,27	Calgary
1000-m	19 December 2009	1:21.68	Calgary
1500-m	13 november 2009	1:59.86	Salt Lake
3000-m	12 November 2009	4:07.73	Salt Lake
5000-m	21 November 2009	7:10,24	Hamar
10,000-m	20 March 2009	15:11.84	Calgary

External links

• Cathrine Grage at SkateResults.com
• Cathrine Grage's home page
• Interview with Grage and Sundberg
• Grage and Sundberg in Danish Politiken
• Grage and Sundberg at ECh 2006
• Photographs of Grage
• Television programme with Grage