Gerrit Jan van Ingen Schenau (13 September 1944,

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

– 2 April 1998, Weteringbrug) was a Dutch biomechanist. He made large contributions to the field of

biomechanics Biomechanics is the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to Organ (anatomy), organs, Cell (biology), cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechani ...

, particularly muscle coordination, energetics of movement, and the functions of

biarticular muscle Biarticular muscles are muscles that cross two joints rather than just one, such as the hamstrings which cross both the hip and the knee. The function of these muscles is complex and often depends upon both their anatomy and the activity of othe ...

s. He focused on

speed skating Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skat ...

in particular, and played a significant part in the invention of the

clap skate The clap skate (also called clapper skates, clapskates, slap skates, slapskates, from Dutch language, Dutch ) is a type of ice skate used in speed skating. Unlike in traditional skates where the blade is rigidly fixed to the boot, clap skate ...

. He died of cancer in 1998.

References

1944 births 1998 deaths 20th-century Dutch biologists 20th-century Dutch physicists Scientists from Leiden Deaths from cancer in the Netherlands {{Physicist-stub