Despite being a very talented speed skater and having an excellent skating style and technique, Van Helden never managed to win any major international tournaments.
One of his most memorable feats was finishing 4th on the 1,500 m during the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, aged 35, and well ahead of his former compatriots, Dutchmen Hilbert van der Duim, Frits Schalij, and Hein Vergeer [REF].