Erhard Keller

Erhard Keller is a former German speed skater, born on 24 December 1944, who raced for West Germany and specialised in the 500 and 1000 metre sprints. In January 1968 he beat Yevgeny Grishin's 500 metre world record, and at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble the flying dentist, then a dentistry student in Munich, won the 500 metres and became the first German male Olympic champion in speed skating. He won the ISU Sprint Championships in 1971 and defended his Olympic title at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo with an Olympic record. He turned professional after the 1972 season, graduated in dentistry in 1973, practised in Munich from 1975 and skated six world records in his career.