Maria Aaltje "Marianne" Timmer (born 3 October 1974) is a Dutch former speed skater specializing in the middle distances (1000 and 1500 m). At the 1998 Winter Olympics she won a gold medal in both these events.

Speed skating career In 1999 she won the 1000 m in the World Single Distance Championships and in 2004 became world champion in the sprint. In 2006, she won the 1000 m at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. This made her the first skater from the Netherlands to win a gold medal at two different Winter Games.

Timmer broke through at the Junior World Championship in 1994, winning bronze. She began to specialize in the shorter distances.

Nagano 1998 Timmer won gold in the 1000 and 1500 meter races during the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, beating Chris Witty in the 1000m and Gunda Niemann in the 1500m.

Salt Lake City 2002 At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Timmer finished 8th in the 500m, fourth in the 1000m, and 21st in the 1500m.

World Sprint Speed Skating Championships, Nagano 2004 On 18 January 2004, Timmer became the first Dutch woman to win a World Sprint Speed Skating Championship. Though she did not win any individual distances (she got three third and one fourth place), she was the most consistent athlete and won the overall championship.

Turin 2006 At the Dutch championships, Timmer qualified for the 500m and 1000m events at the 2006 Winter Olympics. She was disqualified after a false start in the 500m race, but a week later she surprisingly won gold in the 1000m, beating out favorites Cindy Klassen and Anni Friesinger by a very slim margin. This result qualified her for the 1500m, where she finished 14th.

2008–09 season In January 2008, Timmer announced she wished to extend her contract with sponsor DSB Bank, until the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and at the end of February 2008 the contract was signed.

2009–10 season On 13 November 2009, Timmer broke her heel on the 500m, during a World Cup event in Thialf. She failed to qualify for the Winter Games in Vancouver.

2010–11 season At the 2011 Dutch Single Distance Championships in Thialf, Timmer got the third-fastest time on the first 500m, but ran into Marrit Leenstra on the second 500m, and fell. The next day, on the 1000m, she did not get farther than tenth place. Because of her first 500m result, she did qualify for the 2010–11 ISU Speed Skating World Cup.

She published a biography in 2010, written by De Telegraaf journalist Frank Woestenburg.

She withdrew from the Dutch Sprint Championship on 27 December 2010 after a disappointing 500m on the first day. In May 2010 Timmer, Annette Gerritsen, and Margot Boer left the Control team to start their own team, sponsored by Liga, a company manufacturing biscuits and crackers. She stopped skating on 28 December 2010, though she said she would remain involved with Team Liga. Her official goodbye took place during the Tijdens het 2011 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen, on 22 January 2011. On that occasion she was named an honorary member of the KNSB.

Records

Personal records

World records DistanceTimeDateLocation1500 m1:57.5816 February 1998M-Wave, NaganoSmall allround163.31516 March 1997Olympic Oval, Calgary

Tournament summary YearDutch DistanceDutch AllroundDutch SprintOlympicsWorld CupWorld DistanceWorld SprintWorld Juniors 1993 27th 1994 1000 m10th 1500 m11th 3000 m 26th 500 m26th 1000 m39th 1500 m 23rd 1995 14th 1500 m NS4 27th 500 m41st 1000 m28th 1500 m 1996 500 m 1000 m 1500 m4th 3000 m8th 5000 m 6th 6th 52nd 1000 m44th 1500 m32nd 3k/5k 1997 8th 500 m4th 1000 m6th 1500 m 4th 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 6th 1998 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 6th 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 16th 500 m7th 1000 m9th 1500 m 14th 500 m8th 1000 mNF 1500 m 8th 1999 500 m 1000 m4th 1500 m7th 3000 m 10th 500 m7th 1000 m10th 1500 m 500 m 1000 m 4th 2000 500 m 1000 m8th 1500 m 7th 11th 500 m8th 1000 m18th 1500 m30th 3k/5k 10th 500 m 1000 m 2001 500 m 1000 m7th 1500 m 20th 500 m11th 1000 m29th 1500 m 9th 500 m8th 1000 m 6th 2002 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 8th 500 m4th 1000 m21st 1500 m 17th 500 m9th 1000 m14th 1500 m 10th 2003 500 m 1000 m15th 1500 m 10th 500 m4th 1000 m20th 1500 m 9th 500 m4th 1000 m 8th 2004 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 500 m 1000 m6th 1500 m 5th 500 m 1000 m9th 1500 m 2005 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 7th 500 m 1000 m15th 1500 m 10th 500 m 1000 m 11th 2006 500 m 1000 m14th 1500 m DQ 500 m 1000 m14th 1500 m 13th 500 m6th 1000 m 4th 2007 500 m 1000 m 16th 100 m14th 500 m4th 1000 m NS3 2008 500 m 6th 1000 m 15th 100 m6th 500 m8th 1000 m 6th 500 m 5th 2009 4th 500 m 9th 1000 m 24th 100 m15th 500 m27th 1000 m 11th 500 m 2010 500 m 1000 m 31st 500 m24th 1000 m 2011 fell 500 m10th 1000 m NS2

Personal life Timmer was born in Sappemeer. She was previously married to her former coach Peter Mueller. They were married in Las Vegas in 2001, after which he added her to Spaar Select, his skating team, against the wishes of the other skaters, in what a reviewer of his autobiography called a "dominating and intimidating" way. Timmer and Mueller broke up in 2003, and Mueller avenged himself on Timmer in his autobiography. She was married to ex-goalkeeper Henk Timmer. After a fifteen-year relationship and seven years of marriage, the couple split up in 2019.

References

External links Marianne Timmer at SkateResults.com Photos of Marianne Timmer Olympic Medal Winners Profile page of Marianne Timmer on Teamliga.nl