Dutch speed skater who in 1972 won three gold medals in the Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan. He became the first skater to win the 500-, 1,500-, 5,000- and 10,000-metre races at the world championships in a single year (1972).

In Sapporo, Schenk dominated the Olympic competition, winning handily in the 1,500-, 5,000-, and 10,000-metre races. He was denied a sweep of the men's speed-skating events, however, when he fell after only four steps in the 500-metre race.

Schenk was the son of a former national skating coach and began international competition in 1964. He won his first European championship in 1966 and was world 1,500-metre champion (1967 and 1970–72), world 5,000-metre champion (1971–72), and world 10,000-metre champion (1971–72). As a professional from 1973, he won many European and world championships.