Rudie Liebrechts

Who is Rudie Liebrechts?

Rutgerus Liebrechts is a former Dutch speed skater and racing cyclist.

Liebrechts was born in Vlaardingen and was among the best Dutch speed skaters from 1961 to 1967. He twice became Dutch Allround champion, in 1963 and 1964, while he finished second in 1965, and third in 1966.

He had his biggest international successes at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships, where he twice won a bronze medal overall. In 1961 in Gothenburg he finished behind his compatriot Henk van der Grift and the Russian Viktor Kosichkin, while in 1964 in Helsinki he followed the Norwegian Knut Johannesen and Viktor Kosichkin, again. At the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck he missed out on medals, finishing 10th at the 1500m, 8th at the 5000m, and a close 4th at the 10,000m.

In 1965 at the Bislett stadion in Oslo he broke the world record on the 3000m.

Rudie Liebrechts also was a reasonably successful cyclist at the national level; in 1965 he won the tour of Gouda.