Grietje "Greta" Smit[1] (born 20 January 1976) is a Dutch former speed skater.

Gretha Smit
Smit (w. silver medal Olympic Games 2002)
Personal information
Born (1976-01-20) 20 January 1976 (age 48)[1]
Rouveen, Netherlands[1]
Height1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight60 kg (132 lb)[1]
Sport
CountryNetherlands
SportSpeed skating
Medal record
Women's Speed Skating
Representing the  Netherlands
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2002 Salt Lake City 5000 metres
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2004 Seoul 3000 metres
Silver medal – second place 2004 Seoul 5000 metres
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Berlin 3000 metres
Bronze medal – third place 2003 Berlin 5000 metres
Dutch Marathon Championships
Gold medal – first place 1995 Ermerzand Natural Ice
Gold medal – first place 2000 Artificial Ice
Gold medal – first place 2001 Artificial Ice
Gold medal – first place 2002 Artificial Ice
Gold medal – first place 2004 Artificial Ice

Smit won a surprising silver medal in the 2002 Winter Olympics in the 5000 metre event. She skated a world record broken in a later pair by Claudia Pechstein. Prior to that season, she had not competed in long track speed skating competitions for several years, and had only taken up practice again shortly before the Dutch trials in late 2001.

However, she had been a very successful marathon skater in the years before 2002. She had become Dutch marathon skating champion on natural ice in 1995, 1998, 2000 and 2001, and on artificial ice in 1999, 2000 and 2001. During the last held Elfstedentocht in 1997 she finished second. She also won the alternative Elfstedentocht - skated in Finland - in 1998, 2000 and 2001.

Smit's two sisters, Jenita and Marianne, were also good (marathon) skaters; Jenita also took up long track skating in the 2002/2003 season.

Personal records

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Personal records[2]
Speed skating
Event Result Date Location Notes
500 m 42:18 7 February 2004 Vikingskipet, Hamar
1000 m 1:28.94 26 February 2004 Deventer
1500 m 2:02.02 8 February 2004 Hamar
3000 m 4:03.80 4 March 2007 Olympic Oval, Calgary
5000 m 6:49.22 23 February 2002 Utah Olympic Oval, Salt Lake City

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Gretha Smit". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Gretha Smit". www.speedskatingresults.com. Retrieved 20 November 2015.
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Awards
Preceded by Ard Schenk Award
2003
Succeeded by