Olympic gold medalist Dan Jansen helps train, mold Kyle Larson, Chevrolet NASCAR drivers

Dan Jansen was once the best speed skater in the world, winning a gold medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Norway.

But now, Jansen finds himself working alongside Josh Wise and Scott Speed, helping train Chevrolet’s NASCAR drivers. Jansen’s most notable trainee is Kyle Larson, the 2021 Cup Series champion. Jansen trains Larson both physically and mentally and was a big part of Larson’s attempt to run all 1,000 miles in the Indy 500 and Coca-Cola 600 back in May.

“That’s what I think Josh [Wise] is really good at, assembling people like that,” Larson said, via Dustin Long of NBC Sports. “… Bringing Dan in, who has competed at a super high level and represented a country, I think having the diverse people and backgrounds is really what makes Josh’s company elevate. He’s assembled a great team, and Dan is one of many people that helps push us all to get better.”

Larson didn’t get a chance to run a single lap in the Coca-Cola 600 due to the late start time in Indianapolis and subsequent rain when he arrived in Charlotte. Still, Larson benefitted from Jansen’s training, who came to learn just how strong he is for his size.

“He has no idea how strong he is for his body type and size,” Jansen said of Larson. “He’s incredibly strong. Not like weightlifting strong. He’ll make fun of himself because he can’t bench press a lot but with the body to weight ratio, he can do things most can’t.

“For instance, most people can’t do a pistol squat, meaning you’re on one leg, you go all the way down, touch your butt to your ankle and then get up. Most people can’t do one. He can do 20 straight on each leg.”

Dan Jansen goes from prolific Olympic career to training Kyle Larson

Jansen’s path to NASCAR started eight years ago when he moved to Charlotte to be closer to his daughters. Team Penske invited him to speak at a year-end meeting and a couple of weeks later, he received a phone call from someone who had heard his speech and asked him about mental training for young drivers.

Jansen got his start in the Brad Keselowski Racing program in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, working with drivers such as Tyler Reddick, Chase Briscoe and Daniel Hemric, all Cup Series regulars in 2024.

In addition to Larson, Jansen also works with Ross Chastain, whom he says he has to hold back during their workouts.

“The outline is similar for all of them, but the specifics are different,” Jansen said. “Even week to week or day to day is different for many of them. When I skated, I didn’t have sponsor commitments to take care of, all these meetings they have all the time. I had to go to the track or the weight room, or wherever it was, and I had to work out and train and train and train. Go home and eat and sleep and do it again. … They have these commitments. … Everyone is different even in the way they go about the training.”