Peter Michael

New Zealand

Sport	Speed Skating
FederationID	SSNZL10905198901
NOC	New Zealand
Born	09 May 1989 in Wellington
Gender	Men

Occupation	Athlete
Languages	English

Personal Bests	Event	Record	Date	Location
Personal Bests
	Event	Record	Date	Location
	500m	37.44	28 Feb 2016	Inzell
	1000m	1:11.40	09 Jan 2022	Inzell
	1500m	1:44.96	09 Dec 2017	Salt Lake City, UT
	5000m	6:09.68	10 Dec 2017	Salt Lake City, UT
	10000m	12:58.07	21 Nov 2015	Salt Lake City, UT

Main Achievements
Main Achievements
World Single Distances Championships	Event
World Single Distances Championships
	5000m		1
	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	1

General Interest

Other sports

He has represented New Zealand in roller speed skating, and won eight titles at the world championships between 2010 and 2016. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Nov 2016; stuff.co.nz, 14 Sep 2016)

Sport Specific Information

Reason for choosing this sport

One of the factors that persuaded him to switch to speed skating was that there was more funding available in the sport than in inline skating. He was also inspired by New Zealand speed skater Shane Dobbin competing at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

General Interest

Hero / Idol	US boxer Muhammad Ali. (Athlete, 26 Jan 2017)
Awards and honours	In 2014 he was named Sportsperson of the Year in Kapiti, New Zealand. (kapitiindependentnews.net.nz, 11 Nov 2014)

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport?

He competed in inline skating before taking up speed skating in 2014 in Inzell, Germany.

General Interest

Sporting philosophy / motto

"Never give up, keep pushing." (Athlete, 08 Nov 2017)

Social Media

www.facebook.com/petermichael42nz
twitter.com/petermichael42

General Interest

Milestones	He became the first speed skater representing New Zealand to win a world championship medal by claiming bronze in the 5000m at the 2016 World Single Distances Championships in Gangneung, Republic of Korea. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Nov 2021; olympics.nbcsports.com, 09 Feb 2017; isu.org, 04 Dec 2016) He became the first New Zealand speed skater to finish on top of the podium at a World Cup event when he triumphed in the 5000m in 2016 in Astana, Kazakhstan. (SportsDeskOnline, 04 Nov 2021; olympics.nbcsports.com, 09 Feb 2017; isu.org, 04 Dec 2016)
Other information	LIVING IN THE NETHERLANDS He spends a large part of the year based in Heerenveen, Netherlands. "Of course I would rather live in New Zealand, close to the family. But that's a bit tricky for a long track guy, because there isn't a single 400m track in my country. My mother would cheer if I came home tomorrow. That won't happen yet. I have some stuff to do." (schaatsen.nl, 29 Aug 2021; nzherald.co.nz, 13 Mar 2019) INLINE TO ICE He first competed in inline skating but decided to switch to speed skating. "By my twenties I had done everything possible in inline [so] I tried ice - at the start I didn't really like it, it was quite difficult, trying a new sport, but I stuck through with it. The first day, I stepped on the ice and did one lap. I reckon it would have taken me four minutes just for that one lap. I couldn't stand up, it was very difficult. The next day, I managed five laps. I developed quickly after that, but, in saying that, I just went hard. A lot of people think, from the sidelines, that [inline and speed skating] are really similar, but they're honestly not. To do four minutes that first lap - I was coming off one of my best years in inline." (nzherald.co.nz, 13 Mar 2019; vice.com, 06 Dec 2017)
Nicknames	Messy, Messy Mike (Athlete, 17 Jan 2021)
Injuries	He sustained an elbow injury in October 2021. (schaatsen.nl, 13 Oct 2021)

Championships results	Year	Competition	Event	Rank
Championships results
	2016/2017	World Single Distances Championships	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	2
	2016/2017	World Single Distances Championships	5000m	3
	2018	Olympic Games	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	4
	2018	Olympic Games	5000m	4
	2020/2021	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start 16 Laps	5
	2015/2016	World Single Distances Championships	5000m	6
	2023/2024	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start	6
	2018/2019	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start 16 Laps	6
	2014/2015	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start 16 Laps	6
	2020/2021	World Single Distances Championships	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	7
	2015/2016	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start 16 Laps	7
	2019/2020	World Single Distances Championships	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	8
	2018/2019	World Single Distances Championships	10000m	8
	2023/2024	World Single Distances Championships	5000m	9
	2019/2020	World Single Distances Championships	10000m	9
	2018/2019	World Single Distances Championships	5000m	10
	2020/2021	World Single Distances Championships	10000m	11
	2022	Olympic Games	10000m	12
	2014/2015	World Single Distances Championships	5000m	12
	2015/2016	World Single Distances Championships	10000m	12
	2016/2017	World Single Distances Championships	1500m	13
	2020/2021	World Single Distances Championships	5000m	13
	2018	Olympic Games	1500m	14
	2018	Olympic Games	Mass Start 16 Laps	15
	2022/2023	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start	16
	2022	Olympic Games	Mass Start	17
	2019/2020	World Single Distances Championships	5000m	19
	2019/2020	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start 16 Laps	19
	2016/2017	World Single Distances Championships	Mass Start 16 Laps	22
	2022	Olympic Games	1500m	26

World Cups	Year	Competition	Event	Rank
World Cups
	2016/2017	Berlin	Qualification Combination Allround	1
	2016/2017	Astana	5000m	1
	2019/2020	Nagano	5000m	2
	2022/2023	Calgary, AB	Mass Start	2
	2016/2017	Berlin	5000m	2
	2016/2017	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	3
	2016/2017	Nagano	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	3
	2017/2018	Salt Lake City, UT	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	3
	2016/2017	Berlin	1500m	3
	2017/2018	Heerenveen	Team Pursuit 8 Laps	3
	2016/2017	World Cup Classification	Overall	5
	2016/2017	World Cup Classification	Mass Start 16 Laps	5
	2019/2020	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	11
	2023/2024	World Cup Classification	Mass Start	10
	2015/2016	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	11
	2015/2016	World Cup Classification	Mass Start 16 Laps	12
	2017/2018	World Cup Classification	Mass Start 16 Laps	12
	2017/2018	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	13
	2016/2017	World Cup Classification	1500m	14
	2019/2020	World Cup Classification	Mass Start 16 Laps	14
	2020/2021	World Cup Classification	Mass Start 16 Laps	15
	2021/2022	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	18
	2023/2024	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	21
	2020/2021	World Cup Classification	5000m	22
	2015/2016	World Cup Classification	1500m	22
	2018/2019	World Cup Classification	Mass Start 16 Laps	23
	2020/2021	World Cup Classification	1500m	24
	2022/2023	World Cup Classification	Mass Start	24
	2018/2019	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	29
	2014/2015	World Cup Classification	Mass Start 16 Laps	30
	2021/2022	World Cup Classification	Mass Start	31
	2022/2023	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	31
	2017/2018	World Cup Classification	1500m	33
	2014/2015	World Cup Classification	5000/10000m	36
	2015/2016	World Cup Classification	Overall	38
	2021/2022	World Cup Classification	1500m	43
	2017/2018	World Cup Classification	Overall	42
	2022/2023	World Cup Classification	1500m	44
	2019/2020	World Cup Classification	1500m	46